


Sorcerers & Knights, and their long-lost Prince

by DracoWillHearAboutThis



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Modern Royalty, No Magic No Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:22:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21704419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoWillHearAboutThis/pseuds/DracoWillHearAboutThis
Summary: "Can't you watch where you're going?!" Arthur snapped."Youran intome!" the other man exclaimed, incredulous, and Arthur stilled because heknewthat voice. And that accent.He looked up and found himself face to face with a flushed, indignant Merlin Emrys, tour shirt drenched with coffee.Bloody hell."That shirt is Dior," was all that came out of Arthur's mouth, without his permission, and the singer's face hardened."Well, bugger for you," Merlin snapped. "Might have to wear off the rack, for a change, like the rest of us. Maybe the money you saved with that could go to your precious charity."Arthur blinked, the blow of the other man's words not even hitting him before he heard Gwen Smith shriek from down the corridor."Merlin! You can't say that to the Prince of Wales, oh my God!"Merlin is the lead singer of the popular British band calledSorcerers & Knights. Arthur is the Prince of Wales. Their paths cross and destiny unfolds.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Minor Elena/Gwaine, minor gwen/lancelot
Comments: 243
Kudos: 1213





	1. The Royal Duties

**Author's Note:**

> My dear readers,
> 
> my muse jumped this story idea at me even though I'm crazy busy with real life and my other two ongoing stories, but it still demanded that I start writing this right away - because Christmas is approaching and we all need a Modern Royalty AU, it seems. Or at least I do, which I guess is reason enough. So I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do. Here is the first chapter of this hot mess. 
> 
> To my old and new readers: Please come and follow me on my new Twitter Account @TheHuffleLife. My old account was suspended for reasons I can't quite fathom, but I gave up all hope of getting it back, since Twitter hasn't replied to two of my appeals.

_ '-Out there in the crowd  _

_ Surrounded by people watching me _

_ I can't help but feel  _

_ I'm not where I'm meant to be -' _

Arthur subconsciously hummed along to the song, tapping his fingers onto his knee. When Leon threw him an amused smile, Arthur cleared his throat, ceasing the humming. He turned his head to stare out of the window instead, his face feeling warm. 

_ 'Are you out there _

_ Waiting for me? _

_ Or are you just a delusion  _

_ Never to be  _

_ Reality?' _

The song faded into the relative silence of the car, and the radio host started speaking. 

"And this is the newest song of Britain's most successful export product of the past year,  _ Sorcerers & Knights _ ! Released last week, it immediately hit number one worldwide. They announced their first world tour for the new year only last month, and today, they'll be performing at the charity event organised by the Prince's Trust! Quite an exciting time for the fans of Merlin Emrys, Gwaine Orkney, Lancelot Du Lac, Elyan Smith and Percival Pellinore."

"It's your first time meeting them, isn't it?" Leon asked, making Arthur look back at him again. 

"Yes," he shrugged. "But we both know I don't usually spend much time with musicians or actors. That's Morgana's thing."

"I doubt Morgana has met them before," Leon frowned. "Gwaine, maybe, he seems to enjoy attention, but the others appear to be pretty down to earth. Especially that lead singer. From what I hear, he's very elusive."

Arthur hummed, looking out of the window again. 

"Don't tell me you're not at least a little curious," Leon laughed. "I spend a lot of time with you in cars. I know you like their music."

"I do not!" Arthur squawked out indignantly. "They're just on  _ all the time!  _ The songs get stuck in your head!"

"Sure they do," Leon nodded, but there was a knowing smile on his face. Arthur huffed.

He  _ did _ like the band's music, much to his own frustration. He hadn't wanted to jump onto the bandwagon - pun not intended - when everyone started liking them, but the more he listened to their music, the more enamoured he became with the lyrics, the general sound and the voice of the lead singer, Merlin Emrys. 

It was Arthur himself that had reached out to the band's manager and invited them to his charity event, much to Morgana's surprise. 

"I wouldn't have expected them to be your preferred clientele," she had noted, eyebrows raised. "I thought you went for - what was it? A more  _ traditional  _ guest list. I was fully expecting Sting back."

"Yeah, well," Arthur had shrugged, keeping his face neutral. "They are huge at the moment, aren't they? They'll bring attention to the cause. And they care about charity work."

That part was true, at least. The band was involved in a number of projects, which was why Arthur had been confident enough to reach out to them in the first place. Even though his father would probably frown at some of the charities Merlin Emrys was most active in - namely LGBTQ+ - Uther Pendragon had no say over who'd be performing at today's event. The Prince's Trust was Arthur's baby, after all.

"We're here," Leon announced, drawing Arthur out of his thoughts. He blinked, not having realised that they had reached the underground car park of Wembley. In the distance, Arthur could see the tour bus of  _ Sorcerers & Knights  _ parked across three spaces. The logo of the band stood out starkly against the black paintwork: A red coat of arms with a dragon, a wink to Camelot and the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The irony of the band's theme and his own name was not lost on him.

They got out of the car and made their way to the entrance of the backstage area, only to find it already buzzing with activity. Someone was rolling a rack of costumes past where they stood in the doorway, and at the end of the corridor, someone was talking loudly on their mobile, demanding to know where the energy drinks had been put down. Not far from them stood a woman in a jacket spotting the band's logo, pulling her wild dark curls back into a messy bun as she talked to the crew. She straightened up, though, when she took note of Arthur's, clearing her throat and approaching him with apparent trepidation. 

"Your Royal Highness," she greeted him, and for a moment, she seemed to wonder if she needed to curtsy. "I'm Gwen Smith, the band's manager. We talked on the mobile?"

"Oh yes, we did!" Arthur nodded, putting her out of her misery by reaching out his hand to shake hers. "A pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Smith."

"It is, indeed," she replied, flushing prettily. "A pleasure. I mean, an honour. The boys are very excited to play at your event tonight."

"I'm glad to have them," Arthur smiled. "I hope we can raise a lot of money for the children."

"I'm sure we can," Gwen nodded, seeming a little more confident now. "Not to sound conceited, but the band has been extremely successful lately. We've used that influence for charity before, and we are grateful for the opportunity to get to do it again."

"Well, I certainly appreciate it," Arthur chuckled. He saw Leon gesture discreetly out of the corner of his eye. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have to make sure everything around here is running smoothly."

"Of course," Gwen nodded. "Maybe you could meet the band later? It would be a highlight for them."

"I'll definitely come and personally thank them for their participation," Arthur promised. "I'll see you later, Miss Smith."

And with that, he took off and threw himself into work for the next two hours. He had still not met the band when he finally got a break, snatching a coffee and hastily making his way to the dressing room with it so the stylists could have their way with him. Of course, Leon had offered to get the coffee  _ for  _ him, but he'd needed a moment to himself. Shaking hands and talking to people who then proceeded to fawn over the Prince of Wales always exhausted him. 

His decision was promptly punished when he turned a corner and ran headfirst into another person, spilling the coffee over them both. There was loud cursing on both sides. 

"Can't you watch where you're going?!" Arthur snapped. 

" _ You _ ran into  _ me!"  _ the other man exclaimed, incredulous, and Arthur stilled because he  _ knew _ that voice. And that accent.

He looked up and found himself face to face with a flushed, indignant Merlin Emrys, tour shirt drenched with coffee.  _ Bloody hell. _

"That shirt is Dior," was all that came out of Arthur's mouth, without his permission, and the singer's face hardened.

"Well, bugger for you," Merlin snapped. "Might have to wear off the rack, for a change, like the rest of us. Maybe the money you saved with that could go to your precious charity."

Arthur blinked, the blow of the other man's words not even hitting him before he heard Gwen Smith shriek from down the corridor.

"Merlin! You can't say that to the Prince of Wales, oh my God!" she hurried to catch up with him, the rest of the band on her heels. Most of them looked worried, though Gwaine Orkney seemed rather amused. "I'm so sorry, Your Royal Highness!" Gwen said the moment she stood next to Merlin, nudging him with her elbow. "Apologise!" she hissed, under her breath. 

"But he ran into  _ me!"  _ Merlin called, outraged. 

To Arthur's surprise, Gwaine laughed, his eyes twinkling as he confessed to Arthur, in an overly friendly manner: "Don't worry, he's always prickly around posh people. You should have heard what he said to Lord Cenred last month at that Hunger Awareness Thing."

"Gwaine," Gwen moaned. "Please, stop."

Arthur, though, had started to frown, and he muttered, almost to himself: "Well, Cenred is a privileged, bigoted  _ arse. _ I'm sure that one was totally justified."

At that, Merlin raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Well, that's something we can agree on, then," he said. "He told me that I'm lucky being a fag is in trend these days, or else we wouldn't be so successful."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I can't believe I'm related to him," he shook his head. 

"I thought that was the general stance of the monarchy towards the LGBTQ+ community, though," Merlin pushed on, lips pursed. "So I was a little surprised when we received your invitation."

"We're not all homophobic!" Arthur called, horrified at the implication. "Elton John sang at my mother's memorial!"

"Well, yes, but that's  _ Elton John." _

And fair enough, he had a point, but Arthur was still not going to give in. "I admit there are some people who are far from open-minded," he told him, jaw set, "but I'm  _ not  _ one of them."

Merlin studied him for a long moment, before nodding, seeming satisfied. "Fine," he shrugged. Then, he grinned. "I'm still not apologising, though.  _ You  _ ran into  _ me." _

Gwen groaned, but Arthur couldn't help but smile, feeling oddly charmed by the singer's standoffish nature. 

"Well then," he allowed, reaching out a hand - the one that wasn't still holding his dripping cup of coffee. "Pleasure to meet you. Please call me Arthur."

The other man laughed, shaking his head as he shook his hand. "Merlin," he retaliated, blue eyes twinkling in mirth. 

It was a good thing the mishap had happened before they had been styled, or else the crew might have had a heart attack. As it was, both of them withdrew to their respective dressing rooms to get changed and be fussed over. They met again about half an hour pre-show, as the band prepared their instruments. Arthur stood by the side and watched them for a while before Merlin spotted him and joined him. 

"Hello," he grinned. "Dry again?"

"Just about," Arthur snorted. A tick of awkward silence, then Arthur asked: "Won't they miss you over there?" 

"Nah," Merlin shrugged. "The good thing about being the lead singer is that you don't play as many instruments. I do have an acoustic guitar backstage, but Gwaine would murder me if I brought it out to steal his thunder. I have one song at the piano, but otherwise, that's Lance's territory."

"I see," Arthur smiled. "Well, you all have your roles. You can't do everything."

"And I wouldn't want to," Merlin chuckled, shaking his head. "We got this far because we focus on what we do best, and because we work as a team. No one is more important than the other, at least to us."

Arthur didn't point out that, to most people, Merlin ended up as the face of the band, anyway. He had a feeling it wouldn't be appreciated, and also needless to mention. So instead, he said: "I wasn't dreading today, for a change. I'm quite looking forward to seeing you perform."

Merlin let out a startled laugh and then those startling blue eyes zoomed in on him. He looked intrigued now, curious rather than hostile. "Was it really  _ you  _ who reached out to Gwen?" he asked. "She said so, but I figured…"

"I wanted you here," Arthur answered simply. 

"Why?" Merlin prodded.

"Because I like your music," Arthur admitted. "But if you ever tell Morgana, I might have to throw you into the Tower for a night."

Merlin laughed, and the sound made Arthur's chest tighten. "Don't worry," he shook his head. "I'm not planning on having any conversation with a Duchess of Canterbury any time soon. It's strange enough I'm talking to the Prince of Wales."

"We're people as well, you know," Arthur grinned. "Though, maybe not Morgana. She's definitely a demon."

Merlin laughed again, and Arthur thought he might quickly become addicted to the sound. He hadn't known the singer to be so smiley. Then again, he knew as well as anybody that they were all someone else in private than they were in the public eye. 

Much to his disappointment, Merlin was called by his bandmates soon after, cutting their conversation short. It was fine, really, because Arthur needed to go on stage only a couple of minutes later to open the event and hold the introductory speech. But he couldn't deny that he'd rather have spent a couple more minutes talking to the singer.

The concert ended up being everything Arthur hoped it would be, and more. Tickets had been sold out for weeks, goods were restlessly sold pre-show, and the phone lines and online donations brought in more money than ever. But not only that, the band was fabulous - captivating, charming and talented. Arthur understood immediately why their success had been unstoppable lately. And no matter what he said, it was in huge parts down to Merlin. 

He knew Merlin had a great voice, but live, it was even more impressive. The way he emoted as well as the notes he hit seemingly effortlessly gave Arthur goosebumps. The others sang as well, every now and then, but most songs were performed by Merlin, and it was obvious that he was the crowd's favourite, even though he had a clumsy way of interacting with them. That didn't deter anyone, though. If anything, it endeared them to him even more, and Arthur could see why: Merlin was  _ real _ ; with his stark honesty, his almost casual stage clothes and his pansexual pride pin stuck to his shirt, he didn't try to be anyone he wasn't. Not to mention that Merlin had written a good portion of the band's songs singlehandedly.

After the show, Arthur took five minutes to fight his way to the band's dressing room, despite the fact that everyone and their mother was trying to get a hold of him. The guys were still in their post-concert high, Gwaine yelling about the room, making Elyan throw his sweat-soaked shirt at him in retaliation. Lancelot was in a corner with Gwen, kissing her softly, and Percival was FaceTiming his children. It was Merlin who noticed him first.

"Arthur," he smiled, hair damp and sticking to his forehead in a way that should be disgusting, but somehow still looked adorable on him. "What can we do for you?"

"I just wanted to drop in before I'm shipped off by Leon to make sure that I don't shirk my royal duties," he grinned sheepishly. 

"Can't escape The Royal Duties," Merlin agreed, mock-serious.

"How come you make those words sound like something shameful?" Arthur snorted. "I could literally hear the capitalisation."

"What can I say?" Merlin shrugged. "It's a talent."

Arthur chuckled, and then he retrieved his mobile, unlocking it and calling upon the keyboard, holding it out to Merlin, who just raised his eyebrows in apparent surprise. "Come on, type in your number, before Leon comes to haul me away!" Arthur demanded. 

"You're serious?" Merlin asked, taking the mobile hesitantly. 

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "Unless you don't want to?" And now Arthur felt ridiculous for assuming. Merlin was very private, after all - apart from the incident with the coffee, he thought they'd hit it off, but maybe he'd been wrong, and if he was, he surely wouldn't want to give his number out to a member of the royal family, which he obviously wasn't very fond of.

But Merlin put him out of his misery by sending him a sheepish grin and replying: "I didn't think the Prince of Wales would just exchange numbers with a mere commoner like me. Isn't that slumming?"

"Shut up and type in your number, Merlin," Arthur rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. 

Merlin bit his lip and did. Then he hit call, and his mobile went off in his own pocket before he ended the connection again. 

"There," he announced, handing the device back to Arthur. "Done."

"Thanks," Arthur grinned, slipping his mobile back into his pocket. "Let's keep in touch. I had fun today."

"Surprisingly, so did I," Merlin smiled. "You're not what I thought you were."

"Always nice to surprise people," Arthur laughed. Then he raised his voice, calling to the rest of the room: "Thanks for coming today and being part of this, guys! We raised a lot of money and the show was really great!"

"Thanks, Princess," Gwaine called. "We do it all for the children." Then, he was silenced by Elyan, who tried to strangle him with his towel. 

"Ignore him," Merlin rolled his eyes, though he looked fond.

"Is he drunk?" Arthur asked carefully. 

"No," Merlin laughed. "He's  _ Gwaine. _ "

Arthur didn't get another moment to himself until he was home that evening. He was ready to fall into bed, but before he closed his eyes and was dead to the world, he pulled out his mobile to find that he had four unread messages, one from Morgana and three from an unsaved number. 

The first two were photos, one of Merlin in a car, laughing at something someone not included in the picture was saying to him, and the other one was of Gwaine, making a funny face into the camera. 

The third message read:  _ 'Hey, sorry, Gwaine took my mobile. He saw us exchanging numbers and hasn't shut up about it since 🙄 Hope the rest of your day was fine and The Royal Duties weren't too horrifying. Goodnight.' _

Arthur grinned, quickly typing out his reply.  _ 'The Royal Duties were exhausting, but I'm finally done. About to go to sleep. Tell Gwaine to get his own royal friend. I heard Cenred is still free.' _

He hit sent and switched to look at a message from Morgana, but only a beat later, he had another notification. 

_ 'He says he wants his own Princess, not a douchebag.' _

Arthur laughed, shaking his head.

_ 'Sorry, we're all out of those. I can refer him to Sweden. Princess Vivian is a blast 😵' _

Merlin's answer was three laughing-crying smileys and telling him to sleep. Grinning, Arthur bid him goodnight, closed the conversation and saved Merlin's number.

Then, he went back to Morgana's message. 

_ 'So, how were  _ Sorcerers & Knights?  _ Tell me everything!' _

Arthur grinned and left the message unanswered, figuring this called for a face-to-face talk.


	2. Someday at Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers :D I'm back with the second chapter of this story, which mostly consists of Merlin and Arthur being their flirty selves and everyone else watching on incredulously. I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :D

"So, stop holding out on me!" Morgana said, fixing him with an exasperated look. "You still haven't told me about meeting  _ Sorcerers & Knights!  _ It's not like you to be so secretive!"

Arthur grinned, taking his sweet time answering, only to rile his cousin up further. "It was a great concert," he said, eventually. "We raised a lot of money." And then he added, in an offhand manner: "And I made friends with Merlin Emrys."

At that, Morgana actually stopped in her tracks, staring at him wide-eyed. He might have as well told her he was planning on denouncing his claim on the throne to join the circus. "You did  _ what?"  _ she asked, at last, her tone incredulous. 

"You heard me," Arthur grinned. 

"Arthur," she said, blinking rapidly, "you don't  _ have  _ friends!"

"Excuse me?!" Arthur called, incredulous. "Of course I do!"

"Oh?" Morgana challenged, arching one eyebrow. "Name one!"

"You," he said immediately. 

"I'm family, I don't count," she shrugged him off. 

"Fine," Arthur snapped, glaring at her. "Leon, then."

"Leon works for you," she rolled her eyes. 

"Elena, then!" Arthur called, exasperated. "Elena is my friend!"

"Fine, I'll give you Elena," Morgana sighed, rather dramatically. "Though she's too nice for this world. It's impossible to dislike her, so she barely counts. Plus, she lives in Denmark."

Arthur pursed his lips but remained silent. Morgana smirked.  "I don't know why I hang out with you," he muttered, annoyed. 

"Because we just established, you don't have friends," she snorted. "Until now, that is. What is different about Merlin Emrys?"

"I don't know," Arthur frowned, taken aback by the question. "I just like him, I guess."

"Hmmm," Morgana hummed. "What's he like, in real life?" 

"He's got a mouth the size of Buckingham Palace," Arthur grinned. "The first time we met, he yelled at me for spilling coffee all over him."

"I like him," Morgana laughed. "You need someone who challenges you."

"Of course you would like that," Arthur snorted. 

"Yup," Morgana nodded. "I also quite like the thought that Uther will  _ resent  _ him."

Arthur made a face. "I'm sure he would," he sighed.

"Oh, you can bet on that," Morgana told him, quite gleefully. "Non-conforming, queer and an artist? He'll judge your life choices so hard, Arthur. I wished I could be there when he hears."

"You're enjoying this way too much," Arthur snorted. "Just because he keeps criticising you every time you're over for dinner."

"He's a bigoted old git," Morgana replied, completely unrepentant. "It's fun to rile him up."

"I'm pretty sure that constitutes as treason," Arthur grinned.

"If I knew that was what you wanted, I'd push him off the throne so you could take over in a heartbeat," Morgana shrugged. "The country is more than ready for a king like you, Arthur."

"Well, I'm not ready to be king," Arthur rolled his eyes. "So cut it out, will you?"

"Fine," Morgana gave in with a smile. "Tell me more about Merlin Emrys. When are you going to see him again?"

"Not sure," Arthur frowned. "We haven't said."

"Well, I'm organising a Christmas Charity early December for my Cancer Trust," Morgana smiled. "I could invite them."

Arthur smirked, elbowing her. "They can't say no to charity," Arthur said, mock-serious.

"Exactly," Morgana chuckled. "It would be a crime against the crown."

And that's how Arthur found himself with a message from Merlin only days later. The staff was just beginning to decorate Kensington for the season - always ridiculously early, Arthur felt - when his mobile buzzed. He retrieved it to find Merlin's name flashing up on his screen, pulling an immediate smile from his lips. 

_ 'The Duchess of Canterbury invited us to perform at her Charity Gala in December. Why do I have a feeling that's your doing? (Gwaine is pleased, btw)' _

Arthur grinned, leaning against the wall across from the window overlooking the gardens to type out his reply. 

_ 'That was her and her alone. And give Gwaine my well-meaning advice to not bite off more than he can chew. I meant it when I said Morgana is a demon.' _

The response came but a few moments later. 

_ 'Gwen was remarkably charmed by her. She seems to be on quite a royal trip. Soon you'll have her convinced that you're all perfectly lovely people.' _

Arthur barked out a laugh.  _ 'Oh no, we can't have that! 😱'  _ he typed out and hit sent. 

_ 'I know! We can't let poor, innocent Gwen be drawn to The Dark Side.' _

_ 'Says the person who's currently texting the Prince of Wales.' _

_ 'Well, I see it as my mission to reeducate you, not the other way around 😈' _

Arthur snorted.  _ 'I knew you were  NORTHERN Irish, but do I have to alert Leon of any Republican tendencies, anyway? 😂' _

_ '😂😂😂 We're all Irish, my friend. Nah, I'm messing with you. I might not like the monarchy much, but you are a nice bloke, so I'll throw Gwaine in front of every bullet aimed your way.' _

_ 'How self-sacrificing of you 😂' _

_ 'I know. That's me 🤷♀️' _

"What are you grinning about?" Leon asked, sounding amused as he approached Arthur. 

"Nothing," Arthur said, too quickly, making Leon raise his eyebrows at him. "Just talking to a friend."

"Oh," Leon smiled. "Merlin Emrys?"

Arthur glowered at him. "I do have more than one friend, Leon," he pointed out. 

"Sure you do," Leon said pleasantly, making Arthur roll his eyes. 

"You've been talking to Morgana, haven't you?" he accused.

"I don't need to, Arthur, " he laughed. "I've known you for years!"

Arthur decided that he really did need more friends. Friends who weren't his cousin, his employee, third to the danish throne or a Northern Irish Republican.

Morgana's annual gala to collect funds for Cancer Research, a baby of hers ever since her father had died from a brain tumour seven years ago, was much more pomp and splendour than Arthur's concert had been, which was so far out of Merlin's usual comfort zone that Arthur really wondered for a second if he hadn't just stepped into the room and walked straight out again. But they were there and their performance took place without a hinge. They performed three songs, all of them acoustic numbers, two originals and one Christmas song, their very own version of Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas". Throughout their performance, Morgana somehow wound her way to his side, elbowing him with a malevolent smile. 

"Enjoying the show?" she murmured, leaning into his side. 

"Of course," Arthur shrugged. "Now shut up and stop ruining it by talking."

Morgana grinned and held her tongue until Merlin had sung his last note and left the stage. Then, she picked right up again, noting: "I thought you  _ didn't  _ like their music, Arthur?"

"I never said that," Arthur replied, his tone airy.

"Sure you didn't," she snorted. "You were right, by the way. I met Merlin Emrys earlier, and he's an absolute  _ delight. _ "

"You made fun of me with him, didn't you," Arthur sighed, glaring at her. "You are impossible."

"Arthur, Arthur," she grinned, patting his arm fondly. "If you don't want people to poke fun at you, don't make it so easy. Otherwise, accept your fate, darling cousin."

And with that, she left him to his own devices, getting to work and trying to talk people out of their money. Arthur was glad this wasn't his job tonight so he just stood back, nursing his champagne and watching the scene. He startled when a familiar voice informed him: "You do realise that the money spent to organise this posh gala could already work wonders in the Duchess' charity?"

Arthur smiled, looking at Merlin as he came to stand next to him, looking a little out of place in suit and tie, though only because they so obviously made him uncomfortable. Otherwise, he looked rather fetching, Arthur noted distractedly. 

"Actually, the gala is an investment in even bigger donations," Arthur shrugged. "It attracts the high-profile spenders, and therefore brings in more money for the cause."

"Yes, but imagine if the snobs would just agree to give it away without being fed caviar beforehand," Merlin smiled. "Wouldn't the world be a better place?"

"Not arguing there," Arthur smiled. "That's not the case, though."

Merlin sighed, taking a sip of his own champagne. There was a beat of silence between them, and then Arthur asked: "Why did you come here, if you disapprove of it so much?"

"Well, it's not that I generally disapprove of charity, as you well know," Merlin smiled. "Plus, everyone was excited when the invite came… And she's your cousin, so it would have been rude."

"I didn't think you cared about appearing rude in front of me," Arthur teased, making Merlin grin. 

"You're right," Merlin snorted. "What was I thinking?"

Arthur huffed out a laugh. He caught Morgana watching them from across the room, eyes sharp but her smile soft. Before he could decipher the look on her face, though, Merlin was talking again. 

"Anyway, the guys and Gwen were very excited. I think the Duchess wanted to adopt Gwen. She's a fun one, though you were right - definitely part demon."

"See!" Arthur said, feeling vindicated. "I have been telling everyone for  _ years _ !"

Merlin grinned, and they fell into an easy conversation that consisted mostly of light bickering and theories about Morgana. Arthur hadn't had this much fun on a charity gala in ages - no, probably  _ ever _ , coming to think of it. 

Eventually, they made their way out onto the terrace, glad to catch some fresh air. The noise of the party fell away a little out here, and though the December air was cold, Arthur welcomed it after the stuffiness of the last two hours. 

"What are you doing over the holidays?" Merlin asked conversationally. "As a good British citizen, I should probably know this, but humour me."

Arthur chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets to fight off the cold before starting to speak. 

"We're at Sandringham for Christmas and I'll be off to Balmoral after, to spend a quiet few days away from my father and the public before the New Year starts. Morgana will join me."

"That's nice," Merlin smiled. "I'll be off for the holidays, too. Going to Ealdor to visit Mum and my uncle Gaius for Christmas. We're kicking off our tour on New Year's Eve in London, though."

"What?" Arthur asked, eyebrows raised. "Well, you sure are busy."

"I'm actually looking forward to it," Merlin laughed. "I enjoy touring."

"Well, that's good, then, since this tour is going to be long, from what I heard," Arthur pointed out, feeling strangely sullen at the thought of Merlin's lengthy absence. "It being a world tour and all."

"It's sure drawn out," Merlin shrugged. "But there'll be a lot of breaks. No one can go a year without a break, Arthur."

"True," Arthur nodded, feeling relieved that Merlin wouldn't be gone for the entire time. "Hey, you think we can get together once more before you leave for Ealdor?"

Merlin grimaced, biting his lip. "That might be tough," he said slowly. "We've got a lot of album promotion going on all through December, and then, on December 20th, they're dropping me straight off at Belfast. It's gonna be hard to align our schedules." 

"Oh," Arthur said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "That's okay. I understand."

"I'd invite you over to Ealdor, but I'm sure your Royal Guard would have some kind of seizure if I did," Merlin snickered. 

"Well," Arthur shrugged, smiling ruefully. "You could come to Balmoral?"

Merlin's eyebrows shot up at that. "Excuse me?" he laughed. 

"Well, if you had some free days between Christmas and New Year's, you could come and see me at Balmoral," Arthur said, trying to sound casual. "I mean, if your family can spare you."

"Arthur, you can't invite me to one of your palaces!" Merlin called. "That's -"

"Why not?" Arthur challenged. "We'll have privacy there. I thought you liked privacy?"

Merlin blinked, seeming too taken aback to answer. 

A long silence followed and Arthur wondered if he should play it off as a joke before Merlin said, very slowly: "Mum might let me go for the duration of a weekend. I mean, my friend Will might wing a little, but he's all settled down with Freya now so really, it's not like he can hang around me 24-7 if he tried."

"So, that's a yes?" Arthur asked, slightly incredulous. 

"That's a 'I'll see what I can do'" Merlin smiled, shaking his head. "Though honestly, me at Balmoral? I thought only the closest family ever went there?"

And that was kind of true, but the King hadn't been up at their Scottish reprieve since Arthur's mother died, the castle too full of memories of his beloved wife. So really, it had become something of Arthur's personal space, so really, who cared whether he wanted to invite Merlin or not?

"It's not like anyone but me and Morgana will ever know," Arthur shrugged. "And I assume your folks are accustomed to keeping secrets, too."

"That they are," Merlin frowned before he shrugged. "Alright, then. I'll get back to you about it."

Arthur smiled, feeling unreasonably giddy at the thought. 

As Merlin had predicted, they didn't see each other anymore before Christmas. They texted, though, and quite regularly for that. Merlin would give him backstage reports of Gwaine's more amusing escapades or Arthur would send him a shot of an advertisement of their new album or of the band on TV, commenting on Merlin's outfit or hair. Leon teased that Arthur was on his mobile constantly, but Arthur refused to feel chastened about it. Talking to Merlin felt too good. 

Their messages soon evolved. It was Merlin who first sent him a message of a Starbucks cake on display, the Royal Peanut Cake, including half the nameplate with a comment so that he could insult him with the words: "You are a ROYAL PEANUT." Arthur laughed so loudly that Leon took a double turn. Then, they found more creative ways to insult each other through message. Arthur sent a photo of a Dumbo plushie. Merlin retaliated with a photo of a frog, claiming that he had yet to be kissed. It went back and forth like that for several days, and Arthur was amazed by Merlin's never-ending string of creative insults. 

"It's like you have a boyfriend," Morgana comment with a sly smirk. 

"We're just texting," Arthur pointed out.

"Just texting  _ constantly _ ," Morgana corrected. "And your face lights up like a Christmas tree when you get a message from him. Not to mention that invitation to Balmoral."

"Yeah, well," Arthur shrugged, a tiny bit uncomfortable now. "Otherwise I won't get to see him before he leaves for tour."

Morgana only hummed, not commenting further, but Arthur could hear everything she wasn't saying in the silence. 

Christmas at Sandringham was dull as usual. Uther Pendragon arrived on Christmas Eve in the afternoon, leaving Arthur a couple of hours alone in the palace to prepare emotionally. He wished they'd have at least invited Morgana, but every year, Uther insisted that it would be just the two of them. 

Dinner that evening was a tense affair. Uther asked Arthur about his charities and all other public duties he had taken over that year, making it appear more like a work meeting than a family dinner. That was, until Uther crossed the topic of marriage. 

"Have you given an engagement to Lady Elena some more thought?" he enquired. "You two seem quite friendly and she would be suitable."

"We're just friends, father," Arthur reminded him. "I'd like to marry for love, as you and Mother did."

"That's a very romantic idea, Arthur," Uther frowned, "but it's time for you to think of settling down. You're my only son, and Britain needs to see an heir to the throne."

Arthur pursed his lips, having heard that particular argument one too many times. Uther looked at him pointedly, but when Arthur refused to answer, he sighed and let the subject drop.

After dinner, Arthur retreated to his room. He had his mobile in his hand before he knew it and then, he was dialling Merlin's number. 

It rang for a long time and Arthur thought Merlin wasn't giving to pick up, but then, Merlin's familiar voice greeted him from the other side of the line. 

"Arthur?"

"Merlin," he smiled, sitting down on the windowsill. "Happy Christmas!"

"Well, not yet, but you, too, I guess," he chuckled. "I didn't expect you to call."

"Yeah, well," Arthur shrugged. "I had an exhausting night. Dinner with the King can be…" He didn't finish the sentence but Merlin seemed to get the message, anyway. 

"I see," he said. "How long till you can leave for Balmoral?"

"I leave the day after tomorrow," Arthur answered. "Will you be able to come?"

"Mum and Gaius gave me their okay," Merlin replied. "Will is still griping, but he'll get over it. Do the 27th and the 28th sound okay to you?"

"Perfect," Arthur grinned. "Thank you, Merlin. I'm really looking forward to it."

"How can I say no to the Prince of Wales in need?" Merlin joked. "I'm pretty sure that would be shirking my civic duty."

Arthur laughed, feeling much better now that he was talking to Merlin, and with the prospect of getting to see him in person soon.

"Where are you?" he asked. "At your Mum's? Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, no, Mum and I were just hanging around the TV and watching holiday movies," Merlin laughed. "There is enough eggnog and cookies to last us into the New Year." 

"Oh," Arthur smiled at the image. "Say hello to your Mum for me."

"I will when I get back inside," Merlin assured him. "I went out into the garden to take your call."

"Well, I hope you're not freezing your skinny arse off," Arthur grinned.

"I'm not that skinny," Merlin said, indignant. "It's also not that chilly. No snow, no nothing."

"Well, that's a bummer," Arthur said. "Good thing you're coming to Balmoral. There'll definitely be snow."

"Well, good. I'll need my dose of winter wonderland before we're off to California and the likes."

"California?" Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You're starting your tour in the States?" 

"Yes. Well, after the kickoff in London."

Arthur hummed, his mood slightly dulled once more at the reminder of Merlin's departure in the near future. 

"Well, nevermind that now," Merlin said, effectively changing the subject. "How do I even get to Balmoral?"

And like that, Arthur's good mood was back, and he explained to Merlin where Arthur's staff would pick him up and take him to the castle. 

Yes, Merlin would take off to tour the world soon, but before th at, he'd spent a night with Arthur. That had to be enough for him, at least for now. 


	3. A Spectacularly Bad Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers! Happy holidays! I hope that most of you, like me, are off for Christmas and can enjoy some downtime. If not, I'm sending you the strength to power on! Maybe this will cheer you on :)
> 
> I'm back with the new chapter and Merlin's visit in Balmoral. Not gonna say much or I'll spoil it for you. Please enjoy ;D

"So, when does our esteemed guest arrive?" Morgana asked across the breakfast table, carefully buttering a piece of toast. 

"Around noon," Arthur said. "Geraint picked him up early this morning."

"Good," she smiled, way too knowingly, for Arthur's taste. "I still can't believe you had him brought over here for one night."

"Shut up, Morgana," Arthur rolled his eyes. 

"I'm also stunned he agreed to it," Morgana continued, as if he hadn't spoken. "He must be very taken with you, though the Lord only knows why." Arthur glowered at her. Morgana just smirked. "Will we be dining together tonight or shall I give you some privacy?" she asked, far too innocently. 

Arthur frowned at that. Truth be told, he'd prefer spending time alone with Merlin, but saying so would only confirm his cousin's assumptions, now wouldn't it?

"I'll leave you to it, then," she chuckled when there was no immediate answer. "Honestly, Arthur, for a future King, you're terribly transparent."

"And you sure are a nuisance for such a well-born woman," Arthur snapped, making Morgana cackle. 

Merlin arrived a while later, wide-eyed and with as big a mouth as ever - not that Arthur would have wanted it any other way. 

"God, this is ridiculous," Merlin snorted, gesturing to the castle, then to Arthur and finally to himself. Arthur was pretty sure he should be offended, but he felt rather amused instead . "And  _ this!" _ he called, gesturing to Arthur's own Bentley that was standing in the driveway, Geraint currently unloading his rucksack. "I hope you didn't use taxpayers' money to have me shipped here, Arthur, or I swear -"

"It was my own money, you dolt," Arthur cut him off with a fond smile. "I paid Geraint for his time and the expenses, and I even provided my private car. So stop whinging."

Merlin grumbled for a moment about where he thought his private funds came from, but when Arthur just glared at him, Merlin threw him a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he muttered. "This is just -" he threw up his hands, as if they would do the talking for him. Arthur snorted. 

"Come on," he said. "Let's show you to your room. Maybe you'll become more coherent there."

Merlin was remarkably silent as he followed him into the building and through the corridors. When they finally reached the guest room Arthur had picked for him, not at all far from his own, he turned to look back at Merlin, stunned by the strangely serene expression he was wearing. 

"Merlin?" he asked hesitantly. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, of course," he said hastily. "It's just… It's hitting me again that you're the Prince of Wales."

"You knew that," Arthur teased. 

"I did," Merlin huffed out a laugh. "But I guess I forget sometimes? When we talk, you become just Arthur. I tease you about having money, but…" he shook his head. "Nevermind, I'm being ridiculous."

"Well, I'm used to that," Arthur shrugged, grinning when Merlin squawked indignantly. "Now," he said, gesturing to the room at large. "This is where you'll sleep tonight. Mine is just down the hall, and Morgana's as well."

"I should say hello to her," Merlin said, looking around. 

"Later," Arthur smiled. "She went out today. She said to send her regards and that she would greet you properly upon her return."

"Okay," Merlin frowned, arching an eyebrow. "So, what  _ do _ you posh people do out here?"

"Well," Arthur shrugged, "Balmoral has always been a traditional hunting ground -"

"I'm not shooting innocent animals, Arthur!" Merlin said sternly. "I'm a vegetarian!"

"Of course you are," Arthur laughed. "Well, we can always go for a walk? The scenery is lovely."

"That I can get on board with," Merlin nodded.

"But you'll need warmer clothes," Arthur said, eyeing him critically. 

"What's wrong with the ones I'm wearing?" Merlin demanded, slightly defensive. 

"They're fine, I guess," Arthur shrugged, grinning. "For  _ Ealdor.  _ Not, though, for Scotland."

And that's how they found themselves, half an hour later, out on the path to the grounds, Merlin wrapped up in some of Arthur's discarded winter clothing from years back. Merlin was slightly taller than him but also slimmer in build, so his old clothes fit him well enough, at least when it came to coats. Trousers had been a hopeless endeavour, but Merlin had insisted that he'd be fine in his own. 

The snow was crunching under their feet as they made their way away from the castle, and Arthur was glad to see the excitement in Merlin's eyes. It seemed that, for all his grumbling, he had been looking forward to this. 

"It's nice to see some actual snow this time of year," Merlin smiled up at him. "We don't get much of that in Ireland." 

"I can imagine," Arthur grinned. "It's one of the things I like most about coming here… and I imagine my mother did, too. I was told she was a romantic and that she loved this season."

Merlin watched him for a long moment and then walked slightly closer to him so that their shoulders bumped. "I'm sorry you never got to meet her," he said, very softly. "I know what that's like. I never knew my father, either."

"Really?" Arthur asked, looking at him. "What happened?"

"There was an accident while my mother was pregnant," Merlin told him, his face serene. "Sometimes, when things got rough, my uncle Gaius would help us out, but other than that, it's just been Mum and me ever since."

"I'm sorry," Arthur frowned. "That can't have been easy."

"It was alright, actually," Merlin shrugged. "I love my Mum more than I can express. We never had much money, and she worked a lot, but we made it work. And now that I'm successful, I can finally give something back to her."

"That's great," Arthur smiled. "I'm honestly glad things worked out for you that way."

Merlin smiled back, and there was a moment of comfortable silence between them, before Merlin asked, quite hesitantly: "You… don't seem to get along as well with your father."

"You've seen my father," Arthur shot back. "Does it surprise you that our relationship is tense?"

"I don't know," Merlin shrugged, considering. "On one hand, it doesn't. On the other, I thought he might show a different face with you."

"Well, he doesn't," Arthur shrugged. "If anything, he's stricter towards me than with most others, because I'm the future of the monarchy and he wants me to be prepared for that."

"That sounds like a lot of pressure," Merlin sighed, "and not exactly a fun childhood."

"Well, it wasn't," Arthur sighed. "But what can you do?"

Merlin's eyes were on his face, and they were strangely tender. It made Arthur's skin feel hot and tingly. 

"You know," Merlin said slowly, "I used to think you were this arrogant, privileged prat -"

"You still think I'm all that," Arthur cut in, making Merlin smile.

"I'm trying to tell you that maybe, my perception of you has changed a little, you massive dollop head," he huffed out, half-laughing.

"That's a new word," Arthur commented, shaking his head. "How do you keep coming up with them?"

"It seems you're my muse," Merlin quipped, deep blue eyes on Arthur's again. He gulped, and when he continued, his tone was slightly raw. "Though that's unsurprising, seeing that you're on my mind constantly these days."

Arthur's heart stuttered in his chest. He cleared his throat. "Well," he muttered, "we're texting a lot."

Merlin was silent for a long time, his eyes never leaving Arthur’s, and it felt like being hit by an electric torrent. His throat tightened and his heart sped up and  _ no, this was  _ so _ inconvenient… _

"You're the Prince of Wales," Merlin murmured, "if I knew what was good for me, I'd stay far, far away from you."

"Then why don't you?" Arthur challenged, quite stupidly, he felt. His brain had stopped cooperating. 

But apparently, he had inadvertently said exactly the right thing, because, in the next moment, Merlin was all in Arthur's personal space. 

Arthur had never been kissed by a man before. People always assumed that the wildest things went on at Eton, and maybe they did, whenever Arthur wasn't around. But the fact was, he had only been with girls, hadn't even considered men a possibility before. 

And now Merlin was kissing him, and it was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Merlin's lips were soft, tender in their caresses, and every brush of theirs against his own made Arthur tingle all over. He had cupped Arthur's cheek, gloved fingers cradling his flushed skin, and he wished the layer of cloth was gone so he could feel Merlin's touch directly. His own fingers fisted in the fabric of the coat he'd lend to Merlin, eager to keep him close as he reciprocated, brushing their lips together again and again.

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. The world was spinning, closing in around them, and everything else disappeared, everything that wasn’t him and Merlin, Merlin,  _ Merlin… _

When the other man pulled away, Arthur felt bereft, as if his hold on the world had suddenly been torn away. He blinked, gasping for air as he stared wide-eyed into those blue eyes, deep as an ocean, inviting him to drown in them.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin whispered, bringing Arthur back to reality. “I know I shouldn’t… This can only end in heartbreak… So if you could please tell me to shove off so I can -”

“Shut up, Merlin,” Arthur mumbled, and then he pulled him back against his chest by the death-grip he still had on his coat, reconnecting their lips. And Merlin, quite uncharacteristically, followed his order, arms winding around his waist as he eagerly reciprocated the kiss. 

And it was a revelation. God, how could Arthur ever have thought that he was straight when this felt so incredibly, wonderfully  _ brilliant? _ Kissing Merlin was intoxicating, addicting in a way kissing girls had never been. He remembered that fling with Sophia he'd had during university and how his mind had never stopped working even through their intimate moments, figuring out his next move, wondering if she was enjoying herself or if he was making a fool of himself. 

With Merlin, he just _felt_. There was no space  _ left _ inside of him to angst over things like that because his mind was so full of Merlin and the way he made him feel. How could you be expected to string a thought together when Merlin Emrys was kissing you?

Arthur was unsure how long they stood there in the cold December air, just kissing as if their lives depended on it, but when they broke apart this time, he didn’t allow Merlin to go far; he kept him enclosed in his embrace, and Merlin rested his head against his shoulder, sighing softly. 

“Morgana was right,” Arthur mumbled, still feeling dazed. “Can we not tell her that?”

“I’m not sure we should tell anyone about this,” Merlin whispered, face half-buried in Arthur’s scarf. “This is a spectacularly bad idea, even for me.”

“It doesn’t feel bad,” Arthur pointed out, leaning in to press a kiss to Merlin’s cheekbone.

“Those are the  _ worst _ ,” Merlin grumbled, but there was no heat in it, and he didn’t protest when Arthur caught his lips in another soft kiss. 

They made it back to the castle soon after and directly disappeared into Arthur’s room, Arthur informing one of the servants in passing that he didn’t want to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.

“Well,” Merlin commented, as soon as they were safely behind shut doors. “That was inconspicuous. Good job.”

“You really talk too much,” Arthur groaned, crowding him against the door. “You’re the single, most infuriating person I have ever met, and that includes Morgana.”

“High praise,” Merlin grinned. “And what will you do about such insolence, Your Royal Peanut?”

Arthur growled and caught Merlin’s lips in a furious kiss, Merlin meeting him halfway and matching him pace by pace. Merlin’s fingers threaded through his tousled hair, seeing that he’d just hastily removed his hat before stepping into the room, while Arthur’s immediately went for the fastenings of Merlin’s coat, eager to get rid of the layers separating them. Merlin was unusually pliant, bending this way and that way to help Arthur remove his thick winter clothes as well as assisting Arthur in discarding of his own. It was only when Arthur pulled away from Merlin’s lips to pull his sweater over his head, almost strangling him in the process, that the other man found his voice again. 

“Okay, slow down,” he spluttered, catching Arthur’s hands as they went for the buttons of Merlin’s jeans. “Unless you want to take me against the door, in which case the whole castle will probably be aware of what we’re doing here, I suggest we both take a deep breath and move over to that lovely bed you have over there.”

Arthur, being his contrary self, wanted to return that he didn’t care whether the whole castle heard them, but then he held in, remembering that he actually  _ should _ care. But damn, it was so easy to forget himself around Merlin. Merlin smirked at him, as if he knew exactly what Arthur was thinking, and it was unfair how good he looked in that moment: bare-chested, skin red and flushed, lips well-kissed and dark curls messy and falling onto his forehead. 

“Come on,” Merlin said, catching Arthur’s hand and stepping away from the door, leading Arthur across the room. “Sit. And off with that outrageously expensive sweater. I bet it costs more than my bloody apartment.”

“It does not,” Arthur rolled his eyes but he removed it without another complaint, letting Merlin manhandle him into a sitting position on the edge of the mattress. He expected the other to join him, already reaching out his hand, but Merlin only grinned, a sparkle in his eyes as he dropped to his knees on the plush carpet. His fingers went for the fastenings of Arthur’s trousers, making the Prince’s breath hitch.

“Relax,” Merlin told him, and his voice was gentle now. “This part is no different than it is with a girl.”

Arthur gulped, needing a moment before he could speak again. Merlin made good use of that time to work Arthur’s trousers open properly. Only when he found the waistband of his pants did he ask: “Is it so obvious? That it’s my first time with a man?” His voice was breathy and a little unsure, but he got the words out without trouble, much to his relief.

“A little,” Merlin admitted, almost apologetically. “But don’t worry. I don’t mind, nor do you have to do anything you feel uncomfortable with.”

“The last thing I feel now is uncomfortable,” Arthur muttered, making Merlin smile. Finally, he pushed his pants down to reveal his straining erection.

“You’re sure about that?” Merlin asked, smile cheeky as he ran one finger over the damp slit, making Arthur hiss at the sensation. “Looks uncomfortable to me.”

“Merlin!” Arthur groaned, glowering, but unable to keep up the indignance when Merlin laughed, looking ever so pleased with himself. Then, his fingers closed around the base of Arthur’s shaft, and all coherent thought left his mind. 

“Let’s keep working on making you feel comfortable, then,” he grinned, before leaning in and flicking his tongue over the head of Arthur’s cock. Arthur moaned, watching as Merlin’s lips closed around him and his eyelids fluttered shut, his tongue still working the slit as he moved down. 

Shaky fingers found Merlin’s shoulder, and Merlin’s free hand came up to lead them to his hair, encouraging him to hold onto his soft curls as his head bobbed up and down, building a rhythm, making Arthur tingle all over. Satisfied, Merlin’s hand now strayed to his balls, fondling them as he worked his mouth over Arthur’s shaft again and again just with the right suction, and Arthur felt his grip on the world slipping with each of Merlin’s movement. This was unlike any sex he’d ever had. This was something else entirely, and if he didn’t stop it, Arthur was going to come like a bloody teenager.

“Merlin,” he groaned, pulling at his hair until the other man held in to meet his eyes. “Stop. Come here.”

Merlin raised his eyebrows but obliged, lifting himself off the floor and letting go of Arthur’s prick. He boldly climbed into Arthur’s lap, diving for another passionate kiss. Arthur moaned when he could taste himself on Merlin’s tongue.

“So,” Merlin muttered, arms still tight around Arthur’s shoulder and his body so close that he could feel Merlin’s erection straining against his clothes, “what do you want?”

“You,” Arthur breathed, making Merlin smile.

“You’ve got me,” he promised, his eyes sparkling. “But there are many ways you can have me. I’m happy to bring you off just like this, if that’s what you -”

“No,” Arthur interrupted him. “I want the real thing.”

Merlin blinked, apparently caught a bit off guard. “You sure?” he checked. “There’s no need to rush, I mean -”

“This is the last time I'll see you before you go on tour, Merlin,” Arthur reminded him. “I want the whole experience, not some half-arsed bi starter-kit version.”

That made Merlin laugh, and he shook his head before leaning in to kiss Arthur again. “Fine,” he relented. “Do you have lube and condoms?”

“In the drawer of my bedside table,” he told him, a little regretful as Merlin extricated himself from his lap again. 

“Get out of those,” he instructed, pointing to Arthur’s open trousers. “And make yourself comfortable.”

And so Arthur did, shedding his remaining clothing and pulling up the covers, slipping underneath. Merlin opened the drawer, handing him condoms and a small, barely used bottle of lube before slipping out of his own clothes and joining him under the covers. Merlin’s skin was soft and warm against Arthur’s, and he couldn’t help but pull the other man against him at the sensation and run his fingers up and down the naked length of his back and shoulders, just feeling him. Merlin hummed against his lips, sounding content. Only when Arthur’s hands strayed to his backside, fondling his cheeks, did Merlin pull back and reach for the lube again. 

“Right,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Did you ever do this before? To yourself, I mean?”

“No,” Arthur admitted.

“Okay,” Merlin nodded. “You want me to do it, or -”

“I’ll do it,” he volunteered quickly, his eagerness making Merlin smile. “Just guide me through it?”

“Well, you’ll need lots of lube,” Merlin shrugged, handing it to him. “And go slow, please. It’s been a while.”

Arthur was unreasonably pleased about that statement. He followed Merlin’s instructions to the dot, a better listener than he usually was, preparing Merlin slowly, carefully. The experience was surprisingly intimate. If Arthur had imagined this part before, he would have thought it to be the uncomfortable necessity - the part they needed to get over with to move on to the fun bits - but he was surprised to find that he actually enjoyed it. Because every time Merlin’s breath hitched or his eyelids fluttered, Arthur’s heart beat a little faster, and the deep tone of Merlin’s voice as he told Arthur to add another finger, crook them this way or that, was incredibly appealing. 

And then, Arthur located Merlin’s prostate, and  _ that  _ was better than any Christmas present he had received. Watching Merlin squirm and moan as Arthur prodded the same spot over and over again, pale skin flushed dark in lust, made Arthur feel more powerful than he ever had in his role as Prince of Wales.

“Could you come just like that?” Arthur asked, rubbing his fingers over the spot again, making Merlin keen. 

“Yes,” he moaned. “So if you still want to get inside of me, you’d better stop right now. Jesus, Arthur.”

Arthur grinned and, with no little regret, let his fingers slip away to go for the condom they had put aside. He focused on getting himself ready for a few moments, and when he was ready to go, Merlin pushed him onto his back and climbed into his lap.

“Wha-” Arthur asked, eyes wide as Merlin grasped his shaft, steading it so he could lower himself onto it.

“Just let me,” Merlin flashed him a grin. “I feel like being in control tonight.”

And honestly, what could Arthur say to that? All his brain cells were busy trying to stave off an immediate orgasm. Merlin, who seemed to sense Arthur’s predicament, caught his eyes for a moment, waiting. Only when Arthur nodded did he lower himself so Arthur started to penetrate him, bit by excruciating bit.

It was nothing like being with a girl. It was less smooth and Merlin’s angles were hard and sharp, but that only made it more real, and all the more perfect to Arthur. When Merlin bottomed out, his eyes still on Arthur's, he was shaking with the sensation of being inside the other man, clinging to his knees, which were encasing Arthur’s waist, like they were his lifeline. 

It felt too  _ good.  _ He hadn’t known sex could feel this good. 

As Merlin began to move, all coherent thought left Arthur’s brain. All he knew was Merlin and the way Merlin made him feel and he tried to hold onto that, to chase the sensation with everything he had. He tried to move with Merlin, but that threw him off balance so they soon altered their position slightly, with Arthur’s back against the headboard and Merlin in his lap, still in control but allowing Arthur some leverage if he pulled his knees up to rock with Merlin. It also made it possible for them to kiss, much to Arthur’s delight, and he made good use of it, catching Merlin’s lips in one messy kiss after the other, and when Merlin was too breathless to keep going, he attached his lips to that long, inviting neck of his, licking and sucking every bit of pale skin he could reach. It seemed to reduce Merlin to a trembling mess, and Arthur’s name tumbled off his lips in a helpless tone. 

When Merlin’s rhythm started to falter, Arthur fit a hand between their bodies, touching his straining erection. Merlin wheezed, pressing his face into Arthur’s neck as he stroked him in time with their movements, once, twice, and then Merlin tensed and he was coming apart, and it was the most exhilarating thing Arthur had ever seen.

His own orgasm hit him almost by surprise. One moment, he was watching Merlin, moving with him, and then, he tipped over the edge, his eyes falling closed as his arms tightened around the man in his arms and he spilt into him. 

They held each other as they came down from their highs, a comforting weight against each other. Only when Merlin started to shiver did Arthur move, pushing the other man off his lap and underneath the covers. He took a moment to take care of the condom returned from the ensuite with a wet towel, handing it to Merlin to clean himself, which he did in lazy movements. When he was done, he dropped the towel on the nightstand and pulled Arthur against him, bluntly arranging him so that the Prince’s chest pillowed his head.

“I need a nap,” he announced. “I travelled halfway across the country because some Royal Prat ordered me away from my family during my holidays. Can you imagine?”

“How rude,” Arthur grinned, running gentle fingers through Merlin’s sweaty hair. “Was it at least worth it?”

Merlin hummed, a smile on his lips. “Maybe,” he said. “It remains to be seen.”

Arthur pinched his cheek in retaliation, and Merlin chuckled, tightening his arm around his waist. 


	4. Plausible Deniability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers! Happy new year! I hope you all had great holidays and that you started off the new year well. I'm finally back with the new chapter for this story, and we're starting off where we left it - at Balmoral, with Merlin and Arthur, in bed. Please, enjoy :D

They awoke hours later and had another tumble between the sheets before their stomachs demanded attention. 

"Honestly," Merlin grumbled as he pulled the covers up to his chest, pouting as he watched Arthur get dressed. "I'm in a  _ palace,  _ and I'm not even being fed. Your manners are seriously lacking, Your Royal Highness."

"How come you only remember my actual title when you're criticising me?" Arthur rolled his eyes, pulling his sweater over his head. He stopped in front of the mirror to flatten his hair and check over his appearance. He looked presentable, if a little dishevelled. 

"It's a talent," Merlin shrugged, grinning innocently. Then, he frowned, looking a little worried. "You're sure I shouldn't get dressed? I'm not particularly keen on anyone walking in and finding me like this."

"They won't come in here after me specifically asking for privacy earlier," Arthur ensured him. "Anyway, I'll only be gone for a minute or two. Need to hunt down some food."

"I still haven't greeted Morgana," Merlin sighed, burying his face in Arthur's pillow. "I'm being terribly impolite."

"You'll see her tomorrow at breakfast," Arthur shrugged, unconcerned. "Anyway, you're here for me, not for her. She'll have to make do."

"You're a possessive bastard," Merlin snorted, but he was smiling. "Go and get your sex slave some food. He is starving."

"Sex slaves don't order around the Prince of Wales," Arthur pointed out, but Merlin just stuck out his tongue in retaliation and Arthur left the room with a grin on his face. 

It didn't take long for Arthur to track down a member of the serving staff and order them some food, telling them specifically to leave it in front of the door for them to pick it up. If they were intrigued, they were too well-trained to show it. And anyway, most of them had been in the family's service since before his mother had died and were loyal to him. He didn't worry about them letting anything slip, even if they were to assume something untoward. 

He quickly returned to his suite, glad to find Merlin exactly where he'd left him, gloriously naked and snuggled underneath the covers. He joined him for a while, leisurely exchanging kisses and touching without urgency until the staff knocked, signalling they had deposited the food. Arthur stood to roll the trolley into the room, and Merlin sat up excitedly at its sight, eyes wide and bright at the prospect of sustenance. He remained chipper throughout the meal, commenting on every dish and making the most delicious noises, causing Arthur's prick to stir again. Mostly, he just watched him fondly and engaged in his chatter, though. 

When they had polished their plates (Merlin hadn't been kidding about being hungry), they lay back down, just holding each other close and resuming their conversation. 

"I can't believe you're leaving Britain in a couple of days," Arthur sighed, nuzzling the skin of Merlin's neck before kissing it. 

"I'll be back eventually," Merlin offered. "And I'll still have my mobile with me everywhere I go."

"It's not the same," Arthur whined, tightening his arms around him. "I can't do this through the mobile!"

"You certainly can't," Merlin agreed mournfully. "You're sure you can't come to our New Year's Con in London?"

"I'm afraid so," Arthur groaned. "Morgana has this annual New Year's party, and she'll have my head if I ditch her." 

"I see," Merlin sighed. "I guess we're just doomed to miss each other, then."

Arthur let out a sound that was more pitiful than he liked to consider and buried his face in Merlin's bony shoulder. Merlin carded his fingers through his hair and pressed a kiss to the back of his head. 

They did make a short appearance at the breakfast table for Morgana's sake. She took one look at them, raised an eyebrow and grinned knowingly, causing Arthur to flush. He knew he would never hear the end of this later. He was only grateful that she refrained from commenting in front of Merlin, leaving their guest at least the illusion of not having been busted as the Prince's secret lover.

They spent the remaining hours in blissful privacy and when it was time to say goodbye, Arthur was far from ready. 

"We'll see each other," Merlin promised as he hugged him one last time. "We'll figure something out."

"You've got it bad," Morgana commented as Arthur stood and watched the car drive away, rapidly disappearing from sight, Merlin within. 

"You have no idea," Arthur sighed, shaking his head. 

Morgana just looked at him. The fact that he didn't deny her statement only seemed to appal her. 

If possible, they texted twice as much from that point on. Every silly event, every serious thought, all of it was reported to the other, and Arthur figured it helped make the physical distance disappear a little. He could just hope it would work in the long run.

When they made their way to London for Morgana's party, he wasn't in a spectacular mood, all things considered. The knowledge of being in the same city as Merlin but being unable to see him stung, though he tried his best to smile in the face of Morgana's accusations.

"I'm not moping, thank you very much," he announced, pocketing his mobile. 

"I saw you reading an article on tonight's concert, you pitiful creature!" Morgana pointed out. "You zoomed in on the band photo!"

"Did not!" he scowled, which was an outright lie. He had. 

"If you don't pull yourself together,  _ The Sun _ will have printed by tomorrow morning that someone broke your heart," she rolled her eyes. "Possibly me, knowing that shit-wreck. So would you please put on your 100-deciwatt-smile and be the Prince the public loves so much?"

Arthur scowled at her, but eventually, he relented. He'd played the game long enough to know the rules, after all.

The party wasn't as dull as it could have been - it wasn't charity, so Morgana had actually invited fun people - but when more than an hour after midnight, Arthur's mobile buzzed, his attention was still diverted completely from everything around him and glued to the tiny screen. 

Merlin had sent him a photo of the band on stage, in front of the crowd, grinning up at the camera. It had clearly been taken shortly after the countdown to the New Year because Gwaine was holding a half-empty bottle of champagne and Elyan looked suspiciously wet and sticky. Arthur's eyes were on Merlin, though, his blue eyes shining in delight and his cheeks dimpling in a wide grin.

_ 'Happy New Year,'  _ Merlin had written.  _ 'How long do you need to stay at that party? Our flight's at 7:48 AM and we're staying at an airport hotel until 6:30. If you're game, I don't need any sleep.' _

Arthur's heart started racing. He glanced around the room before quickly typing a response. 

_ 'Will be there asap. Let me find Morgana and Leon. Text me the address and room n°, pls.' _

And with that, he rang Leon, telling him to prepare the car, and pushed through the crowd in search for his cousin. Morgana was, quite unsurprisingly, surrounded by people, but when she saw him approach, she quickly disentangled herself, clearly intrigued by the expression on his face. 

"I need to leave," he muttered, his voice hushed but urgent. "Make excuses for me?"

She raised a wry eyebrow at him. "Let me guess," she drawled. "You received a booty call from a certain, popular singer?"

"He's leaving the country in a couple of hours, Morgana!" Arthur snapped, and her eyes softened. "I just… I want to see him  once more before he leaves for tour."

"Then go," she sighed. "God, you're like a puppy when you're in love. It shouldn't be allowed."

Arthur bristled, about to protest the statement, but deciding against it because time was of the essence. So he just glowered at her before turning to leave and find Leon with the car.

It took them far too long for Arthur's liking to make their way to the hotel (what were people even doing out on the streets? Why weren't they drunk at home or in a pub, getting it on in a public toilet?), but when they arrived there, Arthur was relieved to find there were no adoring fans or hordes of reporters lingering in the vicinity. In fact, by some stroke of luck, there was no one around to see Leon drop Arthur off. Only when he slipped into the elevator, pushing the buttons to the fifth floor where Merlin's room was located, did it occur to Arthur how reckless he was being. If the representatives of Clarence House knew, they would have his head. 

Merlin was placed in room 5.06, which was only a little way down the corridor, but still, Arthur's nerves were on edge the whole way. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the door to Merlin's room, rushing over to knock. It only took an instant for the other man to answer. Clearly, Merlin had been on the edge of his seat, waiting for him to arrive. 

"Hey," he grinned and Arthur was hit once again by how gorgeous he was. His hair was still slightly damp and shaggy from the shower and he was wearing nothing but a comfortable-looking white T-shirt and grey briefs, the heating in the room apparently running high enough to allow for the lack of clothing in the middle of winter. Arthur's throat went dry just looking at him. 

"Hey," he muttered and then he was reaching out, pushing him back into the room. Merlin was stumbling a little, allowing Arthur the space to enter. The Prince hastily pulled the door shut behind himself before he pulled Merlin into a hungry kiss, cold fingers twisting in his thin shirt or going for his bum and making the other man gasp. 

"Oh god," Merlin moaned, pushing up against Arthur's body and starting to pull at his clothes. "I'm so glad I asked you here. Who needs sleep, anyway?"

"Who, indeed," Arthur agreed, leaning in to bite down on Merlin's neck. The singer shuddered and pushed at Arthur until he gave away enough to make short work of most of his clothes. He then manhandled Arthur towards the king-sized bed in the middle of the room and Arthur found himself on his back on the mattress, Merlin straddling his hips and smirking down at him mischievously.

"Hi," he teased, running one hand down Arthur's bare chest, making him shiver. "Happy New Year, Your Majesty."

"Oh my god," Arthur groaned. "Stop messing around and let's get to the good stuff before the airport shuttle comes knocking."

"So impatient," Merlin chastened, but he leaned in to capture Arthur's lips in another deep kiss. Arthur moaned, the sensation of their tongues sliding against each other addictive. His hands found the hem of Merlin's shirt and he pulled, getting it tangled in his arms and head and making Merlin splutter. He laughed as he helped him extricate himself. When he resurfaced, his hair was tousled and his face indignant, making Arthur's grin widen. 

"Try not to strangle your sexual partners with their own clothes next time," he grumbled. "Jesus, no wonder you all need to marry your cousins."

"Oi!" Arthur called, pinching Merlin's sides and making him squeak in outrage. " _ You  _ called  _ me  _ here, if I may remind you!"

"Exactly! Don't make me regret it!"

With a growl, Arthur flung them around until he was pinning Merlin into the mattress and glowering down at him. Merlin's lips twitched, though he clearly tried to glare back. 

"Can we settle on less talking, more shagging?" Arthur demanded, at last. "I'd like to get you well-buggered before your train leaves, if you don't mind."

Merlin pretended to consider this for a moment, then he nodded. "Very well, then," he relented, his tone long-suffering but his eyes sparkling. "Go ahead, Your Royal Prickliness."

Arthur rolled his eyes but went back to kissing Merlin, effectively shutting him up, and in turn, Merlin wrapped himself bodily around him, arms and legs enveloping Arthur best he could to keep him close. 

What came next was sort of a blur to Arthur - the remaining clothes went flying to the ground and there was a lot of groping and grinding, more kissing, and all these delicious sounds Merlin kept making. Arthur had always known that he had a thing for Merlin's voice, but he quickly grew obsessed with it in this lust-hazed pitch, the one that only he got to hear, at least for now. 

But maybe, he was simply obsessed with Merlin in general, he amended as he fingered him open, using his free hand to touch every bit of skin in his reach and eyes glued to his face. Merlin was captivating, addicting. 

When he finally pushed inside of him, it was almost scary how  _ much  _ it felt, even beyond the pure physical pleasure. Arthur knew he should be worried about how fast this was progressing, how quickly he was falling for Merlin and how deep it went, but he had no space left for that as all of him was focused on Merlin around him, underneath him, kissing him, holding him, whispering sweet nothings against his lips…

When he reached his climax, it was so intense that he blacked out for a couple of moments. He came to not long after, collapsed onto Merlin, who was tenderly caressing his back and hair, still painfully hard. So Arthur shook himself out of his post-coital lethargy and slid down Merlin's body. He could easily fit three fingers into him now and it didn't take long to angle them so that he rubbed his prostate directly. When Arthur then began to suck his cock in earnest, fingers still inside him, Merlin followed after him in no time at all, completely losing himself in the sensation of his orgasm. Arthur sucked him through it, swallowing what he could even though the taste was bitter and still unfamiliar, but determined to take it in a stroll. 

When it became too much for Merlin, he touched his hand to Arthur's wrist, making him slowly pull off his prick and slip his fingers out of him, almost in an afterthought. 

He looked down at Merlin, enraptured by what he saw: Merlin was panting, sweat coating his naked, flushed skin, his hair a hopeless mess fanned out on the pillow. Arthur knew that the picture of him would be burned into his mind for the duration of his absence, fodder to all of his fantasies. 

"You'll need another shower," was all Arthur said, though, making Merlin laugh breathlessly in turn. 

"I do," he agreed, and then, he quirked an eyebrow. "Join me?" 

And really, how could Arthur turn that down?

"Maybe I could visit you on tour?" Arthur suggested timidly around 6 AM as they were lying curled into each other in bed, fully dressed, just enjoying their last shared moments. Merlin had already packed up everything he'd had lying around the room and in half an hour, he would be off to the airport. 

Merlin twisted in Arthur's arms, enough so that he could meet his eyes.

"I'd love that," he said, expression earnest, "but can you? Would they let you?"

"Believe it or not, Clarence House doesn't control my entire private life," Arthur snorted. "Plus, it would be perfectly plausible. You sang for my charity, we became friends, so I'm coming to see you. Nothing fishy about it." 

"Except that there is," Merlin pointed out, apologetically. "And the press knows I'm pan, which makes it easier for them to jump to conclusions. You wouldn't believe the stories they start spinning as soon as I'm seen with another man. Which is - so many levels of wrong, I don't even have time to rant about right it now, but that's how it is. There'll probably be people who'll think I turned you gay if you're seen with me too often."

Arthur frowned at that. "I'm not sure whether to give a serious, outraged answer to that or whether to laugh and tease that you indeed turned me gay."

"Oi!" Merlin laughed, pinching him. "Don't you  _ dare  _ push the blame on me, you posh, closeted prick!"

"Fine," Arthur sighed, long-suffering. "But honestly, I think it will be fine if we face it head-on. Of course, tabloids might talk, but it would be so much worse if we're busted after keeping this thing a secret. At least, if we are upfront about a friendship, we can still claim plausible deniability."

Merlin nodded, chewing his lip. "I guess you're right," he agreed, at last. "We'll just have to make sure not to overdo it."

"Well, none of us have proper social media accounts," Arthur rolled his eyes. "The most that can happen is me being seen visiting, or your bandmates posting pics on Twitter or Instagram. And I doubt they'd put up anything too alarming."

"You don't know Gwaine, then," Merlin grinned, but he shrugged. "Okay, then. I definitely won't complain about having you over. It's usually always Percy or Elyan with family or girlfriends visiting on tour, so it will be a nice change to have someone there for me."

He leaned in to kiss Arthur with a soft smile, the kiss lingering this time. 

"I'll probably monopolise your time and distract you from work," Arthur warned.

"I didn't expect anything else," Merlin grinned against his lips. 


	5. It seems that you're my butterfly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers! I'm back with a new chapter for this story! I apologise in advance for my crappy attempts at writing lyrics - bare with me.

Technically, having Merlin away on tour wasn't any different than having him across the country or even in the same city and being unable to meet up. They still messaged an indecent amount, video-chatted whenever their time schedules and now time difference would allow, and Arthur missed him more than he thought humanly possible. 

"Gwaine knows," Merlin told him one evening when Arthur was close to dropping off from a long day and Merlin had escaped to his room between rehearsals and press events.

"About what?" he asked blurrily, blinking at Merlin's picture on the screen of his mobile. 

"About us," Merlin clarified with a sigh. "He pulled me aside earlier when I was texting you to ask me who I thought I was fooling.  _ 'You're never that obsessed with your mobile,'  _ he said.  _ 'You sometimes take ages to answer _ my  _ messages. You're obviously shagging him.'" _

"Oh," Arthur muttered, frowning. "What did you say?"

"No point in denying it," Merlin rolled his eyes. "Gwaine would have seen right through me." He held in for a moment, before continuing: "He said I should tell the rest of the band."

"Oh," Arthur repeated because it was too late in the day to be more eloquent. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know!" Merlin groaned, clearly frustrated. "Gwaine told me they're all suspecting, anyway, so I would just be confirming it. And they can have my back when they know. But…" he bit his lip, considering. "Doesn't it feel like we're courting disaster by telling too many people?"

"Yes and no," Arthur agreed. "We should definitely keep things as low key as we can. I only told Morgana, and that's just because she saw us together and knew."

"Well, and I thought I'd been so blasè," Merlin grumbled.

"Sorry," Arthur smirked, sending him a half-shrug before returning to the topic at hand. "You definitely shouldn't tell everyone and their mother, but the people you hang out with daily and who might help you cover it up… It might be good to have them on your side. Not to mention the emotional support might be invaluable. I was told dating royalty can become quite… taxing."

He was hesitant to add the last bit but felt that he needed to. He couldn't hand every person a pamphlet about what dating him would eventually entail - it would chase every ever so willing candidate away faster than Arthur could ever work his charm, no matter how much Clarence House would approve - but he felt the need to ease Merlin into all the hiccups of their arrangement lightly, hoping he would not run once he realised how screwed he was going to get in all of this. 

Merlin just hummed, though, and stretched out more comfortably on his hotel bed. "Alright," he said, eventually. "I'll tell them. But just the band and Gwen. That's enough people. I mean - I trust them with my life, but… it just feels so risky, too many people knowing."

"Well, I don't mind," Arthur clarified. 

"Maybe I'd hoped you'd mind," Merlin pouted. "Then I could have used you as an excuse not to!"

"Don't shirk your responsibility, Merlin," Arthur grinned. "You seduced the future King of Britain. You need to own up to it."

Merlin glowered at Arthur and, very maturely, stuck out his tongue at him. 

Merlin told his band that same night, after their concert. It appeared they had indeed all suspected and were therefore in equal parts glad and worried to have it confirmed. 

_ 'They're about ready to murder everyone who gives me a hard time,'  _ Merlin messaged him cheerfully.  _ 'And that includes you, Your Royal Prattiness, so you'd better not break my heart, or they'll find a way past Leon and bury your body where no one will ever find it.' _

Despite these threats, Arthur was scheduled to visit the band on tour at the beginning of February. They had reached California by that time and had two concerts announced there, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Arthur joined them in San Francisco, his plane landing at a small, private airport just outside of the city to not attract too much attention. He was then escorted directly to the venue, where the band was already holding soundchecks and dress rehearsals. 

When Arthur arrived, it was to Elyan and Gwaine arguing loudly on stage, instruments in hand as they gestured back and forth. 

"You always draw out your solo too long here, I never know when to step in -"

"Guitar solos are important, El!"

"You have four in total, Gwaine, for fuck's sake!"

Merlin stood by the mic, staring into the mostly empty rows warily, most likely waiting for the argument to be settled so they could continue, and then, his eyes fell onto Arthur. His expression lit like a tree on Christmas morning and then, he was beaming and jumping off stage, jogging to meet Arthur halfway. Elyan and Gwaine abruptly stopped fighting and everyone's attention turned to them, but Arthur didn't care for Merlin had reached him and was now pulling him into a bone-crushing embrace. 

"Well," Arthur could hear Percival say, sounding amused. "I guess that concludes soundcheck."

Arthur grinned and turned his face to press up against Merlin's, wrapping his arms around his waist to return his hug. 

"Hi," he breathed against Merlin's cheek, buzzing with delight when Merlin sighed and hugged him tighter. 

"You're here," he whispered. "I can't believe you're here."

Then, quite to Arthur's regret, he released Arthur, but his blue eyes were still watching him with wonder and adoration, so he was willing to allow the physical distance for as long as necessary. 

"Princess," Gwaine boomed, slinging an overly familiar arm around his shoulders and breaking their moment effectively. "Glad you could make it! A shame you couldn't bring along your cousin!"

"Morgana is otherwise engaged," Arthur shrugged. "As far as I remember, she's currently in Paris."

"Shame," Gwaine sighed wistfully, then he caught Merlin's eye and muttered, under his breath: "If you were hoping on being discreet, mate, try a bit harder. There's hugging a friend after not having seen him for weeks and there's what you just did."

Merlin flushed and nodded, once, almost imperceptibly. Gwaine squeezed Arthur's shoulder and went back to speaking in a normal pitch: "I sure hope you'll enjoy the show. It's bound to be a mess. El has been nagging all week and now we have to cut rehearsals short in the middle."

"And yet, it always turns out alright, anyway," Lancelot noted with a smile, having approached them while they were speaking. He reached out a hand to shake Arthur's. "Welcome," he said warmly. "Thanks for stopping by. We've all been very excited."

Arthur took Gwaine's grin into Merlin's direction to mean that 'we' was actually code for 'Merlin', but he did not comment on it.

"Thank you," Arthur replied. "I'm looking forward to seeing your show. Last time was a real experience, but it will be nice not to be stuck up to my waist in work all day as I watch."

"You can enjoy watching  _ us _ work instead," Percival grinned as he and Elyan joined their little gathering and Arthur shook more hands.

"You're calling live performances 'work'?" Gwaine scoffed, grinning. 'It's the most fun part of my year!"

" _ You _ would say that," Elyan grumbled, clearly still miffed, and Percival ruffled his hair fondly. 

"How about I give you a tour around the venue?"Merlin suggested. "I'm afraid we're stuck here for another hour with fittings, but we can go back to the hotel after to drop your stuff and hang out for a while. The con isn't until tonight."

"Alright," Arthur nodded.

"We'll tell the staff you're last in line for your fitting," Lancelot said, catching Merlin's gaze.

"It's not like he changes much, anyway," Gwaine teased. "He only does it out of necessity, so he won't be too gross and sweaty."

"Not everyone can be extravagant and have twelve outfits like you," Merlin snorted. "This is not P!nk, you know."

"Hey, nothing against P!nk," Gwaine grinned fetchingly. "You  _ wished  _ you had that much style, Merls."

Merlin rolled his eyes and turned back to Arthur, a smile on his face. "Shall we?" he asked, and Arthur nodded. 

The tour was only perfunctory, as Arthur had suspected. Oh, Arthur was shown the most important locations so he would know his way around, but as soon as they'd found a quiet corner, Arthur found himself shoved against the wall with Merlin kissing the living daylights out of him.

"I can't believe you're here," he murmured between kisses, hands fisted in Arthur's hair. "This is bloody insane. I'm not sure if it bodes well for Britain that our future monarch is obviously mental."

That startled a laugh out of Arthur, causing Merlin to pull back and grin at him. They just looked at each other for a long moment, savouring the fact that they weren't separated by thousands of miles and the screens of their mobile phones. 

"I feel like a naughty schoolboy," Merlin confessed sheepishly.

"Well," Arthur grinned. "Seducing the Prince of Wales and sneaking around with him all over the world is more than a schoolboy offense, as far as I can tell."

Merlin pinched him for that and Arthur laughed. 

They raced through fittings and made it back to the hotel in record time, where they checked Arthur in and then spent an entire hour relearning each other's bodies. 

Arthur honestly didn't know how he could have gone without touching Merlin for a month, or how he was supposed to go without it again upon his return to Britain. Merlin was so intoxicating and if he had deluded himself that one taste was going to sustain him for months he had been horribly wrong. 

Eventually, they had to resurface from the sheets, shower and return to the venue in time for the concert. Some fans had already gathered to welcome the van as they arrived, but thankfully, they couldn't make out any of the occupants through the tainted windows and they only got out once they were sheltered from view. 

"Not that it matters much," Gwaine grinned. "We're gonna be posting a few choice photos of you later, anyway."

"Right," Arthur nodded, trying not to feel skirmish at the prospect. It had been his idea, after all, to hide in plain sight. Merlin squeezed his shoulder, reading his thoughts on his face and probably sharing his worries and it made him feel a little braver. 

Gwen was waiting for them inside, and she looked flustered the moment she set eyes on Arthur, as if she hadn't met him prior to this and as if one of her charges and friends wasn't screwing him. It was almost endearing. 

"Your Royal Highness," she greeted him. 

"Please," Arthur shook his head, hearing Gwaine cackle in the background. "Call me Arthur. This is not an official event and I don't want to hear my title, alright?"

"O-of course!" Gwen called, if possible, flushing even more. "I'm sorry, I should have realised, with you and Merlin - I mean, not that that translates to anything for the rest of us, I keep telling Gwaine that - but -"

"Gwen, love," Lancelot interrupted her, amused and fond as he slung an arm around her and kissed her temple. "It's okay to stop talking now."

"Thank God," she breathed, sending Arthur an embarrassed smile and he chuckled. 

"Now," she turned to the band, all business again. "You have two hours. Gwaine and El, make sure to check up on your instruments once more before going out there, we don't want a repeat of Chicago. Merlin, don't chase away the make-up artists again, they're only doing their jobs. And Lance - keep an eye on the madness for me, will you?"

"Of course, love," he grinned, leaning in to kiss her, making Elyan groan and tell them to get a room.

And like that, Arthur became privy to the chaos that was the  _ Sorcerers & Knights  _ pre-show ritual. He watched with interest as Merlin descended into his 'zone', as Percival described it, stretching, warming up his vocal cords and doing his best to ignore the world around him. Meanwhile, Gwaine seemed to hype himself up by annoying the hell out of everyone but Merlin, taking turns snatching photos of Arthur with his phone or teasing Elyan or interrupting Percival's warm-up regime, which looked more like a work-out to Arthur than anything else. When he became bored with that, he pestered Leon, then he moved on to interrupting Lancelot's last-minute piano rehearsal and proceeded to follow Gwen around. 

"How have you not thrown him out yet?" Arthur asked Percival, amused.

"He's not that bad," the other man laughed. "He just gets really excited about performing. Like a puppy. He needs to tire himself out."

"He doesn't go to Merlin, though," Arthur noted. "Is there a story?"

"Not really," Percival grinned. "We've just all known each other for ages, and Gwaine knows better than to mess with Merlin when he's concentrating. They don't mix well when they're in these kinds of moods. During and after the concert, it's all fine again, though. Merlin just needs some time to centre before he goes out, is all." 

Arthur nodded, throwing a look towards where Merlin was sitting with his headphones on, eyes closed.

The concert was, quite unsurprisingly, amazing. He'd loved Wembley, but this, seeing Merlin on stage now that he knew him so intimately, was something else entirely. Every song meant something different now, for one - he had a different base to interpret all the lyrics he'd known and loved for so long, and Arthur made good use of it, using them as puzzle pieces to complete his picture of Merlin. 

Then, there was Merlin's stage persona, which had already been a lot to take in the first time he'd seen him live, but now that he'd had the man in his bed, he found it hard to contain the attraction he felt towards him. Merlin just had so much  _ charisma  _ on stage, the way he interacted with the crowd, the way he emoted each song… Arthur wasn't going to let him sleep, at this rate, he was fairly certain of it.

As it was, Arthur could barely hold back from kissing him the moment he left stage. So he kept to the corridors as the band showered and got changed, texting Morgana in Paris and Elena in Copenhagen and chatting to Leon just to keep his mind occupied. 

Finally, Merlin appeared next to him, Elyan in tow. The post-show high was glowing off him even in his freshly showered state and  _ damn,  _ Arthur  _ wanted _ him.

"Sorry to make you wait," Merlin apologised. "Let's get to the car, the others will be along in a minute."

"You mean 'an hour', for Gwaine," Elyan rolled his eyes but he was smiling and Merlin snorted. 

"We should probably warn you that Gwaine has promptly taken over the band's insta, too," Merlin sighed, rolling his eyes. " _ And  _ Twitter. Meaning you're probably all over the internet already."

Arthur blinked, unlocking his mobile as they walked and calling upon Twitter. And sure enough, ' _ #PrinceArthurSKCon'  _ was trending worldwide. With some trepidation, he found that Gwaine had indeed been live-tweeting from the band's account, from as far back as an hour before the show. 

**Sorcerers & Knights ✅ ** @skofficial 3h

YO SAN FRANCISCO! This is Gwaine and I'll be providing you with juicy deets from backstage 😎 For today's show, we are visited by a special royal guest 🤩 Stay tuned!!

**Sorcerers & Knights ✅ ** @skofficial 3h

As much as I wished that some of you had been right with your suspicions about the Lady Morgana 😢 Our royal guest is someone else. Keep guessing!

**Sorcerers & Knights ** ✅ @skofficial 3h 

100 points to everyone who put their money on our very own Prince of Wales! Please welcome HRH Prince Arthur, who is currently chilling with the band in the dressing room.

There was a photo attached to this tweet, of Arthur lounging on the couch before the show, being temporarily distracted from watching Merlin by Gwaine pestering him with photos. A few more tweets with photos followed, of Merlin stretching with headphones on, of Elyan sending him a frustrated look, of Percival's sit-ups and of Lancelot playing the piano. There were also a couple of selfies of Gwaine smirking rakishly into the camera. And then, another tweet directly pre-show, with a photo of the band grinning into the camera - at that point, Arthur had already taken his place to enjoy the concert. The stream of tweets had paused as they had performed, and was now continuing.

**Sorcerers & Knights ✅ ** @skofficial 26min

Brilliant show!!! Thank you, San Francisco!!! Can't wait to play for you again someday 🤩

**Sorcerers & Knights ✅ ** @skofficial 4min 

Have been scolded for taking too long to change. HRH is waiting outside. El suggested something about me being worse than his sister. Wait till Gwen hears.

"Well," Arthur said finally, stepping into the van as Merlin held the door open. "He sure kept himself busy."

"There's no stopping Gwaine," Merlin sighed, shaking his head. "But it might be better that way. People will think you just became close with the whole band, and that it doesn't have anything to do with me."

"Right," Arthur nodded, taking a seat and scrolling through the _'#PrinceArthurSKCon'_ tag. Most of them were fans of the band, delighted that the Prince of Wales had joined their ranks,  with some stray sympathisers of Arthur's tweeting about the budding friendship towards the band members and speculating how that had come to be. Merlin was not mentioned anywhere, as far as he could see.

It didn't take long for Percival to join them in the van, and, soon after, Lancelot and Gwen dragged in a sheepish Gwaine. 

"Hello, Princess!" he greeted Arthur as he sat down opposite him and Merlin, grinning widely. "Did you enjoy the show?" He wriggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner and Gwen hit him in the arm, appalled. 

"I did," Arthur answered, quite diplomatically, catching first Lancelot and Percival's eyes, then Elyan's. "You were all amazing! Thank you for letting me be here tonight."

"Of course," Lancelot said warmly. "It's our pleasure, Arthur."

At last, Arthur's eyes landed on Merlin, and he was smiling at him gently. 

"Besides," Gwen interjected, giggling, "we can't pretend it isn't good publicity."

"On that note," Gwaine called, holding up his phone demonstratively. "Photos!!"

Arthur saw later that Gwaine had tweeted one of the photos he had taken in the van and put it up on Instagram, too, for good measure. He couldn't quite blame him; it was a nice photo, though Arthur might be biased since Merlin's smile was blinding and he liked the way he was pressed up against Arthur so they could all fit into the photo entirely too much. 

**Sorcerers & Knights ** ✅ @skofficial 7h

On our way to the after-party 😎🎉 Thank you, Prince Arthur, for dropping by tonight, it was a blast! Next, LA Baby 😘

He did not see the tweet until hours later, though, because he fell into bed with Merlin immediately after arriving at the hotel and didn't resurface until the next morning. He felt sated and content as he stretched, rolling over in turn to cuddle up to the warm body next to him, only to find the bed shockingly empty. 

"Merlin?" he grumbled, blinking his eyes open and glaring up at the room groggily. 

He quickly found Merlin sitting on the windowsill, his electric keyboard propped up in front of him and headphones on, playing. He seemed completely engrossed in what he was doing, not having noticed that Arthur had woken, and Arthur watched curiously as Merlin held in with a frown, shook his head and gathered up a notebook from his lap, jotting something down. Arthur smiled, realising that he was writing. 

He watched him for a while longer, then he noticed how parched he was and propped himself up to take a drag from the bottle of water on the bedside table. Merlin took note of the movement then and removed his headphones, smiling at him.

"Hey," he said. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No," Arthur shook his head. "What are you writing?"

"A song," Merlin deadpanned, grinning. Arthur rolled his eyes waiting. "It isn't done yet," Merlin muttered, a little shifty. "I don't usually share unfinished numbers unless I hit a wall and need input from Gwaine or Lance."

"Oh," Arthur said, trying not to look too disappointed. "Alright. That's fine."

Merlin watched him for a moment, and then his shoulders sagged. He unplugged his headphones and Arthur thought he was going to put the instrument away, but then, he adjusted the volume and started playing. 

It was a quiet melody, soft and tender. A ballad, Arthur realised. And then, Merlin was singing. 

_ "You raise me up high,  _

_ into the sky, _

_ when I was never meant to fly. _

_ I follow you stumbling, _

_ wait to be falling, _

_ but your magic keeps me afloat.  _

_ Can't seem to make sense of it,  _

_ hard to find a reason why,  _

_ but it seems that you’re my butterfly.” _

He trailed off, the melody fading into silence, leaving only the pounding of Arthur’s heart. Merlin met Arthur’s eyes for a moment, then flushed and looked at his hands. 

“It’s not much,” he muttered. “It’s just something I’ve been playing around with, and -”

“It’s beautiful,” Arthur interrupted him, his voice rough. “Wh- What’s it about?” He had been about to ask ‘Who’, but had changed his mind halfway, not wanting to be presumptuous. When Merlin threw him an incredulous look, though, Arthur wished he'd just kept his mouth shut. 

“Is that a serious question or do you need me to stroke your ego?” Merlin asked, snorting.

“Don’t be a prick,” Arthur groaned. “Not after you  _ just _ revealed that you’ve been writing a love song about me. That’s just not okay.”

“Oh, so you  _ do _ know it’s about you!” Merlin called, grinning.

“I don’t know why I like you,” Arthur huffed, flopping down on the bed. “You’re rude and smug and you have big ears -”

“From what I gathered,” Merlin said nonchalantly, getting up and making his way back to the bed, sliding back underneath the covers and sidling up to Arthur’s side, “you happen to think I’m rather sexy, even with the ears.”

Arthur grumbled, but his reply was lost when Merlin pressed his lips against Arthur's.


	6. LA - London - Copenhagen - London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers,
> 
> first, I hope you are all doing well in these troublesome times! Then, I apologise that this chapter took me so long to get out there. There are two reasons for me taking so long with this: A) I usually write this story on the bus between work, and I have been unable to work as of late due to the situation, so the story suffered a bit. The other reason is that this part of the story was always a little glazed over in my imagination, so typing it out was a bit challenging and long-wired. I'm not quite content with the finished result, either, but I hope you'll still enjoy it!! If anything, I hope it'll be a distraction from the current situation. 
> 
> Happy reading :)

“Tell me again why we arrived in L.A. ahead of all your staff and equipment?” Arthur asked, adjusting his shades as they strolled along Venice Beach. “Not that I’m complaining. I love getting to spend some down-time with you - well, down-time with you and the rest of the band, strictly speaking, but I’ll take what I can get - I’m just wondering, it’s not very time efficient, is it?”

“Arthur, you do realise that our equipment needs to be taken here with lorries,” Merlin snorted. “The staff need time to dismantle the set in San Francisco and then ship it all the way here. And then, they need to set it all up again. It’s not done in the matter of a night. We can just get on a plane and fly over here, but these things take time. Not to mention that Gwen is very strict about not having the label overwork us. She planned in regular days off for us, and today is one of those.”

“I see,” Arthur nodded. “Well, Gwen is more considerate than my PAs, I see. When a Royal Tour is scheduled for me, I have to fight nail and tooth for half a day off, not to mention a whole day.”

“They were pretty generous now, then,” Merlin noted, raising his eyebrows, so high that they disappeared under the L.A. Lakers cap Gwen had forced upon him for camouflage.

“Yeah, well,” Arthur shrugged. “I’m not on tour now, am I? I was able to shift around my appointments so that I could take enough personal days in a row to come here. It’s an art I learned from Morgana.”

“Crafty,” Merlin praised. He looked over his shoulder to make sure they hadn’t lost the others completely yet. Arthur followed his gaze. Naturally, Leon was his permanent shadow, but he was following at a discreet distance and he was amicably chatting with Percival. Behind them, Lance and Gwen were walking arm in arm, looking like a movie stars from the fifties with Gwen in her sun hat and Lance in retro shades. Elyan and Gwaine were over at the sale stands, looking at what appeared to be clothing. 

Arthur sighed. He wished he could just go on a date with Merlin like a normal person, but they both knew that the chance of them being recognised was way too high - so if they were to be mobbed by adoring fans or reporters, better to be out in a large group than alone as the two of them. It would only lead to uncomfortable questions.

It made sense. Still, Arthur wished things were different. And when Merlin caught his eyes, Arthur thought his boyfriend understood him perfectly.

“Looks like Gwaine and El are going to be a while,” Merlin commented, his steps slowing down. “Shall we have a look around, too?”

“Might as well,” Arthur nodded. 

Most of the stands sold souvenirs, clothes or accessories. Arthur wasn’t really interested in buying anything. His outfits were usually laid out by his stylists, so he had given up on trying to find his own style early in his teens. Individuality was a luxury a royal couldn’t afford, his father had always said. Merlin, though, seemed quite drawn to the accessories, which made sense, seeing that while Merlin was not usually one for fashion, he was known to spot a well-selected bracelet or necklace. 

“I like to wear pieces that mean something to me,” Merlin told him with a smile, reading the question in Arthur’s eyes. “Things I buy on tour, from different locations. Presents from friends or family.”

“That makes sense,” Arthur smiled. 

“It does?” Merlin laughed.

“Yes,” Arthur nodded. “For you, jewellery  _ would _ carry an emotional meaning rather than be a simple fashion statement.”

“I’m not good with fashion statements,” Merlin rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving those to Gwaine, and maybe El.”

Merlin ended up buying himself a necklace with a small golden shell pendant. Arthur had been chatting with Leon and Percival as he had paid, so he had missed the fact that he had added a second item to his purchase. He handed it to Arthur later, as they were pausing for some Tacos for lunch. 

“Here,” Merlin said, casually dropping the little paper bag onto his lap. 

Arthur frowned, balancing his Taco precariously in one hand and carefully opening the bag, only to reveal a delicate gold bracelet adorned with three butterflies, made of white shell. 

He looked up at Merlin, stunned and slightly choked.

“You don’t have to wear it,” Merlin said quickly. “It’s probably not royal protocol. I just - saw it, and had to think of you, is all.”

Arthur smiled, his finger tracing the smooth surface of the butterflies. 

“Thank you,” he breathed. 

As soon as he had a minute for himself, he put the bracelet on, and he didn’t take it off for the rest of the trip.

Arthur’s remaining time with the band in L.A. flew by in lightning speed. After their day off, spent mostly out at Venice Beach and then alone up at their room, the band was booked solid with press events, rehearsals and the concert for the night. And while Arthur loved the concert, he was just as glad when it was over so that he could have Merlin to himself again. They made the most of their last night together, none of them caring that they had an early flight the next morning - Arthur back to Europe, and Merlin to Phoenix to continue their tour in Arizona - because who needed sleep when they weren’t sure when they were going to see each other next?

“Don’t you wish you’d just fallen for a bloke without a job who could just give up everything and follow you around 24/7?” Arthur sighed as they lay in bed, sated from three rounds of heated sex, moody at the prospect of having to leave in three hours.

“Nah,” Merlin muttered, sending him a sheepish smile. “I don’t fancy slobs.” When Arthur just raised his eyebrow at him, Merlin sighed, leaning in to press an obnoxious kiss to his lips. “I’m not even sure it would be easier if you could tour with me,” Merlin shrugged. “Touring is taxing, and you’d get bored of the monotony of it eventually. There’s a reason Percy’s wife isn’t here, you know. It’s better this way. Sporadic visits are the way to go.”

“Gwen is here,” Arthur pointed out petulantly.

“Gwen has a job here,” Merlin chuckled. “That’s different.”

“I knew I should have become a Make-Up Artist,” Arthur lamented, and Merlin snorted at his antics. 

“That would have gone down well with the King,” he commented, and Arthur grimaced. “I’ll be back in Europe in April,” Merlin reminded him. “Back in Britain in May. It will all become easier.”

“It’s February!” Arthur whined. “How is that supposed to comfort me?”

Merlin smiled at him indulgently and kissed him again. 

“Oh my god, Arthur,” Morgana complained, about one and a half months later. “That’s it. I’m done with your moping. If I have to see you woefully check your mobile one more time, I’m going to scream.”

Arthur looked up from the article he was reading about the S&K concert last night in Buenos Aires, raising his eyebrows at her. “And what do you suggest I do, pray tell?” he demanded. 

“Simple,” she shrugged. “I talked to Elena, and we’re going to Copenhagen the second April week. Do you know who plays in Copenhagen that week, Arthur?”

Arthur gaped, a slow smile spreading over his face. “You didn’t,” he breathed.

“Oh, I did,” she confirmed, rather grimly. “We spun a whole ruse out of it for you, Elena and I. There’s a charity in Copenhagen that we’ll attend, two days before the band arrives, and then we’ll stay on a bit longer. So cheer up, will you? I can’t see your long face anymore, I swear!”

“Morgana,” Arthur grinned. “If I’m ever mean to you again -”

“I’ll know you’re back to normal,” she rolled her eyes, but her smile was fond. “Though I must say, Merlin Emrys must be a real wizard in the bedroom, to have turned you upside down like this.”

“Shut up!” Arthur hissed, flushing.

Morgana cackled and retreated. That gave Arthur a minute to pull up his conversation with Merlin to tell him the good news. He smiled once more at the picture Merlin had send him this morning - a selfie on his balcony, looking out over the city at night - before typing in a quick message.

_ “Morgana and I are visiting Elena in Copenhagen in April. Will get to see you there 🎉🎉🎉 Can’t wait!!” _

The answer came only a minute later - Arthur knew Merlin must be on his way to the airport by now. He had a flight to Santiago de Chile booked sometime in the next hour or two, if Arthur wasn’t mistaken. 

_ “That is great news! Bless your royal connections! This will be the one and only time I’m grateful for the bloody monarchy. Treasure it.” _

Arthur grinned, definitely in a much better mood than he had been five minutes ago.

The band, as it turned out, absolutely worshipped Elena. Not that this was a surprise, exactly. Everyone loved Elena. Arthur had never met a single person who disliked Elena. Elena was kind and just the right amount of clumsy to call adorable. For a royal, she had an appalling lack of brain-to-mouth-filter, but that usually only made her all the more endearing to their peers. She was like a duckling you wanted to protect. Or a fawn. Only that Elena would fight you if you tried to protect her, so that’s what made her such good pals with Morgana. 

And now, she had the entirety of Merlin’s band fawning over her, it seemed.

“Elena, do you want to join the band?” Gwaine asked her with a straight face, after half an hour of knowing her. “You can have Elyan’s place. No one will notice. Same first letters.”

“Hey!” Elyan called.

“I think that would interfere with my royal image,” Elena laughed. “But thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.”

Arthur might have thrown a fuss about how much more the guys had taken to Elena and even Morgana than to him (with the exception of Gwaine - he would have worried if Gwaine had taken to him the same way, to be honest), if it didn’t have the clear advantage that they left Merlin and Arthur to their own devices due to the girls’ presence. It allowed them to steal away for as much as an hour at a time without being missed, snogging in hidden corners like naughty teenagers or simply sitting in a hidden back row, talking and holding hands. 

“I have to say, Wart, you really bagged yourself a treasure there,” Elena commented later, throughout the concert. “He’s precious. Don’t let him slip away.”

“Please don’t let Gwaine hear you call me ‘Wart’,” Arthur pleaded, his tone pained. 

Elena bit her lip, looking guilty. 

Arthur groaned.

They all went out for drinks after the concert. Elena had booked a private room in one of her favourite clubs and they made their way down there together. Naturally, there were photographers waiting at the entrance door, but as soon as the doors had closed behind them, they were free of the public eye, and Arthur felt elated. Elena had ensured them that she knew the location well and that the staff was trustworthy, so they could just relax and not worry about anyone leaking them to the press.

So that’s what they did. They drank and danced much closer than was socially acceptable under  _ any _ circumstances for the Prince of Wales, much less with a man. They kissed without having to hide. They took photos no one posted on social media. It felt normal in a way Arthur never got to experience, and he wished, with all his might, that it never had to stop. 

When Arthur woke up the next morning, though, he was alone. It took him a moment to remember why that was - that Leon and Morgana had insisted that he return to Fredensborg with them, lest the press became suspicious. After all, neither Merlin nor Arthur had a legitimate reason to spend the night at the other’s place this time around. It stung, and Arthur needed a long time to convince himself to move out of bed that morning. 

When he did, there was a message from Merlin waiting for him. 

_ “Sorry you couldn’t stay. Missed you in bed tonight. See you in a month in London, then we can make up for it ♡" _

The band toured the continent for the rest of the month and reached the UK mid-May. The day they were scheduled to arrive, Arthur was stuck in a conference with various leading diplomats from all over the world, and he couldn’t tear himself away to meet him even if he tried. He cursed his fate. The gods really seemed to hate him, didn’t they? It wasn’t like Merlin’s time in London was going to be boundless. The last thing he needed throughout it was a full schedule.

But it turned out that Merlin wasn’t going to let such a small detail as Arthur’s royal duties keep them apart. It looked like he had made good use of their visits by getting Leon’s private number, and the two of them had figured out a way to smuggle him into Kensington and into Arthur’s private chambers for an unsuspecting Arthur to find. 

It was an understatement to say that Arthur was shocked to see Merlin lounging on his bed as he returned from his long day of battling diplomats and faking smiles. He might have gaped unattractively for a long moment, long enough for Merlin to huff impatiently and order him around.

“Stop staring, strip and into bed with you!” he demanded. “We haven’t got the whole month, Arthur!”

“I’m pretty sure breaking into the palace and ordering the Prince around is treason,” Arthur commented, finding his voice again, but a slow smile was spreading across his face and his hand went to his suit jacket.

“Then you’d better get in here and set me straight,” Merlin smirked mischievously, and that was all it took for Arthur to start tearing his clothes from his body.

Hours later, when they had tired themselves out, they just lay in each others' arms, enjoying the proximity. Of all his time with Merlin, these were the moments he enjoyed the most - the quiet, intimate ones where nothing else seemed important but the fact that they were holding each other. Arthur’s fingers carded through Merlin’s messy dark hair and he breathed him in, feeling impossibly content. 

“How long will you be here?” Arthur whispered.

“Two weeks in London,” Merlin whispered. “Gwen planned in a week of holiday for us. Then, concerts and promo next week. Then, we’ll be touring the UK and Ireland for the next month. I’ll get another week off in Northern Ireland, though, to spend with my Mum.”

“I see,” Arthur nodded, turning his face to kiss Merlin’s temple. “We’ll have to try to make the most of it, then.”

“Well, for the next week, you’re the one with the tight schedule, I imagine,” Merlin grinned. “All I have to do is drive out to Finchingfield one day to visit my uncle Gaius, but other than that, I’m free.”

“I thought your uncle lived in Ealdor, too?” Arthur asked, surprised.

“Nah,” Merlin shook his head. “He’s from Ealdor, but he moved here for work when he was young, and then married and settled down. He’ll regularly return for the holidays, like me, but he’s living just outside of London.”

“Alright,” Arthur nodded. “I guess I can share you for one day.”

“Prat,” Merlin snorted. “Now let’s sleep, you wore me out.”

Arthur grinned and closed his eyes, falling into an easy slumber.

They were woken, quite abruptly, by Leon storming Arthur’s apartment, his face pale and worried. 

“Arthur,” he said. “I’m sorry, but we have a problem.”

“Wha-” Arthur started, blinking, and Merlin jerked the blanket closer around them, very aware of their lack of clothing.

“Here,” Leon said, handing him a tablet, and Arthur took it automatically, staring down at the newspage he had pulled up.

It was the  _ Daily Mirror _ , Arthur realised. He stared down at the headline, his tired brain needing a while to take in the words. Next to him, Merlin cursed.

**‘PRINCE OF WALES IN SECRET LOVE AFFAIR WITH LEAD SINGER OF SORCERERS & KNIGHTS?!’**

“But -” Arthur stammered, looking up at Leon uncomprehendingly, “- how?”

“Someone photographed Merlin entering Kensington last night,” Leon sighed. “They also had quotes from an employee of that club you went to in Copenhagen.”

“But Elena said -”

“Just because Elena didn’t have any bad experiences until now, Arthur, doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you,” Leon sighed. His face softened. “I’m sorry. I really am. But the cat is out of the sack. It’s all over the media.” He hesitated a beat, then he added: “The king has requested your presence.”

Arthur blanched. He groaned. This couldn’t be happening. 

“What are we going to do?” Merlin whispered, and when Arthur looked at him, he seemed positively frightened.

“You can’t be here when I speak to my father,” Arthur shook his head. He met Leon’s eyes again. “Can you bring him home?”

“He can’t go home,” Leon shook his head. “He’ll be hoarded by reporters.”

“Fuck,” Arthur cursed. He looked at Merlin pleadingly. “Is there anywhere you might be able to go? Anywhere they won’t find you?”

Merlin frowned. Then, he muttered: “My uncle Gaius’. I don’t think I ever mentioned he lived around here.”

“Perfect,” Arthur nodded. “Leon, you’ll take him, and you’ll stay there for the rest of the day. I need to be sure they don’t follow you.”

“Okay,” Leon said. “I’ll get the car ready. I’ll be back in five minutes.” 

And with that, he was gone, just as quickly as he had appeared. Merlin turned to Arthur, panic in his eyes. 

“Arthur -” he began, but Arthur cut him off by taking his face into both hands and kissing him. 

“It’s going to be alright,” Arthur promised. “I’m going to take care of it. Please, trust me.”

Merlin gulped and nodded. 


	7. Burn it Down in Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, my dear readers!
> 
> So, additionally to being in quarantine, I am now officially on holidays, and while I could still use the time to get some work stuff done that has been lying around, I decided that I refuse to do so. If all my plans have already gone to hell and most of my income is being withheld, I'm going to try my best to relax and do stuff I enjoy through my holidays, too - which means less work, and more writing :D 
> 
> You get to enjoy the result of that now. I hope you'll like the new chapter of this story :D We're closing in on the end, as you can probably imagine. Not sure how many more chapters it will be, but the next chapter will definitely be the climax of the story. 
> 
> Now, enough talk. Read and enjoy :D

The first time Arthur had been called to his father’s office for a ruffling, he had been five years old. He had thrown a tantrum at a public outing because he had been coming down with a cold and his head was hurting and all he’d really wanted to do was sleep - instead, he’d been shipped off to face the press along with the King, and, as any child his age would have, he hadn’t kept his composure very well. 

He was not, though, as his father had emphasised that day,  _ any _ child. He was the heir to the throne, and he was to behave in a manner befitting his position. 

Now, Arthur was back in his father’s office, Uther Pendragon glowering at him from behind the antique desk. Arthur was chewing his lip, trying hard to find words to head off the argument, but found he didn’t have any. Suddenly, he felt five-years-old again. 

His father, quite surprisingly, seemed to share that sentiment. “Honestly,” he snapped. “I don’t even know what to say.” Then, after a moment of seething silence, he burst out: “How could you have been so  _ stupid _ , Arthur?!”

It stung. Arthur gulped, trying to find his voice. “We were careful,” he brought out, at last. “Elena ensured us that the club was safe -”

“I’m not talking about the club!” Uther cut him off harshly. “I’m talking about that singer! What were you  _ thinking,  _ Arthur?!”

Arthur’s mouth snapped shut again. It took him a long moment to answer, and he willed his voice to come out steady as he finally did. 

“I love him, Father.”

Uther laughed, harsh and without humour. “Please,” his father rolled his eyes. “You’ve known him for how long? Half a year? And most of that, he was off jetting the world. That’s not love, that’s infatuation at best!” Arthur opened his mouth to argue, but Uther didn’t let him, continuing: “You must have known from the start that he was completely unsuitable. A musician, a  _ man _ \- what did you expect would happen? That you’d be allowed to marry him at Westminster Abbey? That he’d be the Princess of Wales? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I know it’s - unprecedented,” Arthur admitted, an edge to his voice. “But times are changing, Father. Same-sex marriages have been legal in the UK for quite a while. If we allow the people to make that choice, I don’t understand why I -”

“The people don’t want a gay Prince, Arthur!” Uther snapped. “We are the pillars of British tradition. You can’t just up and marry a male rockstar! It would shake the whole foundation of the monarchy!”

“But it’s already out there!” Arthur pointed out, his voice rising now. “Our relationship is all over the papers! It would be foolish to deny it!”

“They have no proof,” Uther returned mulishly. “They got, what? Photos of him entering Kensington, and a report from an employee? We can explain that away and deal with that gentleman in Copenhagen. And as long as you never see him again, no one will ever know.”

“Never see him again?!” Arthur repeated, his heart racing. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Uther demanded. “I’ve already asked Geoffrey to set up the paperwork for the band’s manager. It’s a good thing they already signed an NDA. We’re going to terminate all future cooperation with your foundation and remind them to keep their mouths closed about the matter, or they’ll face legal consequences.”

“I never agreed to any of this!” Arthur shouted, hurdling to his feet.

“You don’t get a say in it!” Uther snapped. “I also terminated your phone contract. You’re to hand the device over. Staff is already collecting your other devices: tablet, notebook - you’re officially on communications lockdown until the matter is solved.”

“You can’t do this!” Arthur called. “I’m not going to go along with it!”

“You have no choice,” Uther shrugged. “You’re the Prince of Wales, Arthur. It’s time you remembered your place.”

**Excerpt of the Press Release from Clarence House regarding the nature of HRH The Prince of Wales Arthur Pendragon’s relationship to singer-songwriter Merlin Emrys, date May 14th**

_ The Prince of Wales emphasises that Emrys, along with the rest of his band, have become close acquaintances since their performance for a charity event organised by the Prince’s Trust in November. Nevertheless, all claims of a romantic or sexual nature of their relationship are false. Emrys’ visit at Kensington, as well as all visits the Prince made to the band throughout their tour, were of a platonic nature.  _

_ The Royal Family asks the public and the press to respect the Prince’s privacy as well as the privacy of everyone else involved.  _

Arthur balled the copy of the press release Geoffrey had left for him into a tight ball and threw it across the room. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe they had taken away his bloody  _ mobile _ so that he couldn’t even contact Merlin and tell him that he’d never agreed to any of that bullshit.

He hoped Merlin knew.

Please, let him know.

His father couldn’t lock him into his room forever, he reasoned. Eventually, he’d have to be let out, and then, he’d get access to a phone, and he’d be able to contact Merlin. Morgana could help him - she still had Merlin’s number. If only Morgana would turn up and see him, she could deliver a message, but it seemed like his father had even banned visitors because she never appeared, not for a whole week, making Arthur increasingly desperate. 

When he finally received a visitor, it was Elena. She looked all proper, hair up in a complicated do and encased in a dress that seemed to cover her completely, long-sleeved, high-collared, the skirt reaching below her knees, a tiny hat propped onto her head artistically. She looked so unlike the Elena he knew that it made him cringe.

“I had to play nice with your father so that he’d even let me in,” she explained, making a face. “I told him I wanted to make amends for the mess I created in Copenhagen, and that maybe we could pursue the marriage he and my father have always pushed for, after all.”

“Are you mental?” Arthur hissed.

“It’s a ruse!” she said quickly. “I have no intentions of going through with it. But we need to get you out of here so you can fix things with Merlin!”

“Merlin,” Arthur breathed, crossing the distance towards her to grasp her shoulders, only just stopping himself from shaking her. “Did you hear from him?”

“Well,” she said, biting her lip. “Not  _ directly.  _ I’ve only been speaking to Gwaine and Morgana.”

“Well, what did they say?” he asked impatiently. 

“That things have been… rough on him,” she admitted, a little sadly. “He’s still hiding out at his uncle’s. The press has been hoarding his apartment, so he’s been unable to go home. Lance and Gwen went once to pick up some things for him, and it was a nightmare.” Arthur cursed. “He’s also had to get rid of his mobile. The press kept calling him, and he was afraid they’d be able to track him with it. He’s got a new one now.”

“Shit,” Arthur breathed. He took an unsteady breath, then, he said: “Can you tell Gwaine to tell him that I’m so sorry things have gotten so out of hand? I tried, I really did, but my father is being a prick and -”

“Yeah, the thing is, Arthur,” Elena interrupted, and her big blue eyes were very sad now, “I’m not sure Gwaine will want to tell Merlin anything. They’re all a bit… angry with you, you see.”

“Angry?” Arthur repeated, his heart falling. “But - there was nothing I could do!”

“I know that,” she sighed. “I know this is not your fault. I know how Uther is, and that he won’t listen to you no matter how hard you try. But try to see it from their perspective. You’ve been sneaking around with him for months, and now that it gets out, you deny it, and all Merlin hears from you for a whole week is paperwork from Clarence house that he’ll be sued if he ever talks about your association in public.”

“I couldn’t contact him!” Arthur yelled. “They took my mobile, my computer -”

“I  _ know!” _ Elena nodded, and her eyes were slightly wet now. “ _I_ know that, Arthur. But _they_ don’t. Merlin tried calling you for days before your line was completely shut down. He tried calling  _ Leon, _ but Leon was contractually forbidden from taking his calls because your father is a jackass who thinks of everything.”

“Why didn’t you and Morgana tell them what was going on?!” Arthur demanded. 

“We tried,” she sighed. “But neither of us had actually talked to you, so our words didn’t really count for much. As Gwaine put it, we might just be trying to defend you.” She shook her head, looking incredibly sad. “It seems like this isn’t the first time that Merlin’s been played by someone who wasn’t completely out of the closet yet.”

“I didn’t play him!” Arthur called, desperation making his voice crack.

“I know you didn’t,” Elena ensured him. “But to them, that’s what it looks like. Apparently, Merlin spent a year going out with an actor, and as soon as rumours came up, that person backed out. It crushed him, back then. And now, it seems to them like you’re doing the exact same thing.”

“Oh god,” Arthur moaned, covering his face with his hands. 

“I told them you would never,” Elena breathed. “But Merlin said... “ she took a long moment to complete the sentence, and only when Arthur glanced at her, apprehensive, did she continue, an apologetic look in her eyes. “Well, he said that even if it wasn’t your choice to end things, if you are unable to pull your weight with your father and fight for your relationship, then that is an answer he has to live with, too.”

Arthur stared at her, feeling like a limb had just been torn from his body and he was bleeding out, slowly and painfully. 

“You can’t let things end like this, Arthur,” Elena said, stepping closer again and reaching out to touch his elbow. “I saw how happy he makes you. I know you, and I know he’s  _ it _ for you. If you let it go now, you’ll always hate yourself for it.”

“Then what do I do?” Arthur demanded.

“I’m taking you out on a date tomorrow,” Elena told him. 

“And what will that solve?!” Arthur hissed.

“It’s a ruse!” Elena rolled her eyes. “It’s not a real date. It’s an excuse to get you out of the house. We’ll go have a nice coffee out where people can see us and where we can be photographed so that the King is happy, and then, we’ll get into a car to head home - but in reality, we’ll put on disguises and head to Wembley for the S&K con.” Arthur stared at her, eyes wide. Elena smiled. “Morgana will be waiting there with our tickets,” she continued. “The others have no idea, or they’d have refused. You don’t want to know how much we paid for those tickets, they’re second hand. But that also means our name is not on them.”

“But what will being in the crowd at their concert solve?” Arthur asked.

“We’ll slip backstage towards the end of the con,” Elena shrugged. “I mean, security knows us, and if all fails, we’ll call Gwen. I’m sure we can talk her into giving you a chance to explain yourself.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Arthur asked, already seeing all the faults to their plan.

“We have to try,” Elena insisted. “It’s the only one we’ve got.”

At first, Arthur thought his father wasn’t going to allow Elena to take Arthur out of the palace - after all, he had kept him locked away for a week, and who was to say that he wasn’t going to insist on continuing that stance for much longer? 

But it seemed like Elena was a much better actress than Arthur had reckoned with because she had the King wrapped around her little finger. Not only did he give them permission to go on the date, provided they made a very public appearance and allowed Clarence House to tip-off a few trusted photographers so the photos would be leaked to the right sources, but she even convinced him to allow them to take Leon along as security. 

“I was under the impression that I was to be reassigned,” Leon said carefully as he drove them across town, glancing at Elena meaningfully. 

“Oh, the King changed his mind,” she said airily. “I might have mentioned how pleasant I find you, and as I’m currently Arthur’s only prospect for a marriage in the traditional sense, Uther is quite eager to keep me happy.”

“You’re a force to be reckoned with,” Leon grinned. He hesitated, then he added: “Are you sure about the concert tonight, though?” 

“Very sure,” Arthur injected. “I need to see Merlin.”

He was looking out of the window, impatiently bobbing his knee as they sped through London. He had no patience for this whole farce they had to enact. Right now, Merlin was across town at Wembley, rehearsing and under the impression that Arthur had abandoned him. How was he supposed to keep a straight face and pretend to be on a bloody  _ date _ knowing that Merlin was out there suffering?

“You don’t have to pretend to enjoy yourself,” Elena told him, as if reading his mind. “In fact, it’s better if the photos show you miserable. Like that, everyone will know the Crown is forcing you to lie.”

“And what good will that do me if I can’t speak up?!” Arthur snapped.

“You will,” Elena said, putting a hand on his shoulder to soothe him. “As soon as we have Merlin back on board, we’ll find a way, Arthur. But let’s make the first step before we think about the fifth, okay?”

Arthur took a shaky breath and nodded.

Leon took them to the  _ Fernandez & Wells _ on Beak Street, overlooking Somerset House. It was sunny enough to sit outside, which meant perfect conditions for photographers to get a good shot of them and spread their onslaught of lies. Elena ordered a hot chocolate and a piece of Lemon Crunch Loaf while Arthur merely had an espresso, hardly able to gulp that one down. As by Elena’s suggestion, he did not try to act out his part of the attentive date; he stared into space for most of the excruciating two hours they spent together, nodding every now and then and giving short, one-word answers. He was so relieved when Elena finally decided they had done their part that he almost struck the waiter down in his haste to wave him down for the check.

Back in the car, Leon drove the way to Kensington for a good ten minutes before taking a few sharp turns. Arthur watched as they angled through tiny side streets, changed directions again, until, at last, they ended up on the road heading to Wembley. 

“If anyone was following us from the café, we should have lost them,” Leon said confidently. “I’m parking at the Hilton. Morgana has a room there. We can meet her and walk to the Stadium together.”

“Okay,” Arthur nodded, kneading his fingers as his nerves wreaked havoc with his brain. “They really don’t know we’re going to be there?”

“No, Arthur,” Elena told him, her voice gentle. “We thought it better not to tell them.”

Arthur didn’t know how to feel about that. Knowing that Merlin was just across the stadium from him but unaware that Arthur was right there with him… it seemed like the cruellest kind of torture. 

“We’ll talk to them after,” Elena promised. “We’ll find a way. I promise.”

Arthur nodded. So much of their plan consisted of luck and chance, and he hated it. 

When they arrived at the parking lot of Hilton Hotel, Morgana was already waiting for them. Her face was worried as she threw her arms around Arthur the moment he stepped out of the car. 

“Oh, you little shit,” she muttered fondly. “It’s so good to see you!”

Arthur hugged her tightly, burying his face in her smooth hair. It  _ was _ good to see Morgana. She had been like a sibling to him, growing up, and he hadn’t realised how much he’d needed her support until he had it again. 

“We’re going to fix this, do you hear me?” Morgana told him, still not letting go of him. “We’re going to storm that concert, talk some sense into Merlin and then find a way to fight for what the two of you have. You can’t let Uther win. This is  _ your  _ life, Arthur. He doesn’t get to decide who you love, do you hear me?!”

Arthur nodded, gulping against the lump of emotions in his throat. He took an unsteady breath and finally released Morgana from his clingy embrace. 

“So,” he asked, “what’s the plan?”

Morgana quirked her lip. “Well,” she shrugged. “First, we have to disguise ourselves. Come up to my room. I’ve prepared everything.”

An hour later, Morgana’s hair was a vibrant violet, and Elena’s blond locks were streaked with pink. Their make-up was spectacular and they were both wearing coloured contact lenses. 

“Your families are going to murder you,” Arthur shook his head, staring as Morgana buckled up her deadly-looking leather boots that she was wearing over violet fishnet tights. They matched her hair colour and were artistically torn, disappearing under her short plaid skirt. 

“Come on,” Elena laughed, shrugging on a dark coat with pink fastenings over her S&K tour shirt. “The colour washes out. It’s fun!”

“Exactly,” Morgana nodded, getting up to adjust her own leather jacket. “It’s also the perfect disguise. No one expects royalty in such a get-up.”

“Right,” Arthur sighed. He looked down at his own torn jeans and worn leather jacket. “Where did you get these, anyway? They don’t look new.”

“Might have dated someone who left them to me,” Morgana grinned.

“Oookay,” Arthur raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think I want to know.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Still, I’m pretty sure I’m still recognisable,” Arthur pointed out, gesturing to his face and hair. “I mean, at least you died Leon's hair blue. Not that I want that, but... The cloth may be a distraction, but everyone who really looks at me -”

“That’s why I brought this,” Morgana interrupted him, picking up a wig from the bed. Arthur stared at it with little enthusiasm. “Come on,” she cooed. “You always wanted to know what you’d look like with dark hair. Admit it.”

“Whatever,” Arthur sighed, reaching out his hand. “Give it to me so we can leave sometime before the concert starts.”

Morgana cackled and insisted on putting the hideous thing on him herself. Arthur stared into the mirror, appalled at the dark curls that fell into his face.

“You don’t look like yourself anymore, at least,” Elena said encouragingly.

“Right,” Morgana grinned, handing him fake glasses. “No one will ever suspect you.”

“Right,” Arthur rolled his eyes, putting on the glasses and making a face. “Nggh. If Merlin doesn’t take me back, I blame you.”

Morgana just laughed.

They made it into the Stadium with about twenty minutes to spare until the show started. Arthur had worried all the way through - what if someone recognised them? What if they were asked for their IDs at the entrance, seeing that the tickets were bought second hand? What if they were refused entrance right there? Sure, he could have played the Prince-of-Wales-Card right then and there, but that would have drawn attention and then it would have been all over the internet even before he could have spoken to Merlin. 

None of his doomsday scenarios came to be, though. They got in without any problems and none of the other fans paid them any mind at all, apart from a couple of girls complimenting Morgana and Elena on their outfits as they made their way to their seats. 

“There,” Elena whispered. “I told you it would all work out.”

“Of course, it will,” Morgana rolled her eyes. “When have our plans ever failed?”

“You mean, apart from Copenhagen?” Arthur said drily. 

“Yeah, well,” Morgana sighed. “Okay, apart from that.”

“You’d better be right about this,” Arthur sighed. “There’s no room for failure this time.”

“Wart,” Morgana said, catching his eyes. They had agreed (and with ‘they’, he meant Morgana and Elena), to call him only by Elena’s nickname tonight, just in case someone made the connection from his real name. “Honestly, even if it all blows up and burns down in raging flames tonight - at least you  _ tried. _ You will forever regret it if you didn’t.”

Arthur looked at her for a long moment, and he knew that she was right.

And then, the lights went out, and the crowd started to scream. 


	8. Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand I'm back with the next chapter! Yes, I know, second update in 2 days. I'm on a roll? And on holidays, and lockdown? Okay, yes, I might be bored. Don't judge me. 
> 
> This chapter contains a lot of self-written lyrics by moi and I am very aware that I am a shitty lyricist. They don't properly rhyme and at some points, I just gave up to get the point across. Please bear with them. Pretend they are super awesome and Merlin is super talented, okay?
> 
> Other than that, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!!

Even from across the stadium, Arthur could see that Merlin was not okay.

Usually, he was positively vibrant as he performed. It was one of the things Arthur loved most about him. Tonight, though, he seemed to be just playing the part, going through the routine without feeling any of it. His singing was flawless, but it lacked the emotion that usually leaked through each and every one of his notes. He did not interact with his fans more than necessary. 

It broke Arthur’s heart, watching him like this. 

He thought that everyone watching Merlin on stage tonight must know that the relationship between him and Arthur had been real because it was clear as day to everyone who had eyes and ears that Merlin Emrys was heartbroken. Clarence House would never be able to explain  _ that _ away.

They mostly played the same set they had in California and Copenhagen, but towards the second half, Lance rendered the piano to Merlin, and the rest of the band left the stage. Arthur was thrown, because there hadn’t been a solo for Merlin in the shows until now. But then, he started playing a slow, familiar melody, and Arthur’s heart began to race.

_ “Spent my whole life searching _

_ hollow on the inside _

_ pretending it’s alright _

_ I was not expecting you _

_ to rip down my mask _

_ without even the decency to ask _

_ I was scared of falling _

_ had been hurt before _

_ but it looks like you’re everything I’ve been  _

_ searching for _

_ You raise me up high,  _

_ into the sky, _

_ when I was never meant to fly. _

_ I follow you stumbling, _

_ wait to be falling, _

_ but your magic keeps me afloat.  _

_ Can't seem to make sense of it,  _

_ hard to find a reason why,  _

_ but it seems that you’re my butterfly.” _

Arthur was trembling as he listened, tears in his eyes. Elena reached out to take his hand in silent comfort. Images crashed down on Arthur, of Merlin sitting on that windowsill in their room in San Francisco, looking soft in the morning light as he sang that very song to him. 

Now, he was singing it in front of thousands of people, and he most likely thought it was a goodbye. 

Before Arthur knew it, he was moving.

“What are you doing?” Morgana hissed. 

“I need to go see him,” Arthur said. “Now.”

“He’s on stage!” Morgana pointed out. “You can’t just -”

“I can’t stay here, watching him suffer!” Arthur cut him off. “I need to go!” And with that, he pushed past the girls and down the line of fans, towards the stairs. He knew Leon was on his heels. 

Merlin was still singing on stage. By now, he had reached the bridge of the song. It must have been added recently, because it was much more melancholic than the rest of the song, making Arthur almost falter in his movements to glance back at the stage.

_ “Should have known it was  _

_ too good to be _

_ anything but a fantasy. _

_ Butterflies were never meant to be _

_ captured between your palms. _

_ Time to let you fly on your own.” _

Arthur pushed on faster, knowing that if he could get to Gate J, he would be close to a backdoor that led to the backstage area. He just hoped that whoever was guarding that door today was someone he knew from his many visits on tour. If not, did Leon have Gwen’s contact number? Would Gwen pick up in the middle of a concert?

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Leon called as he followed him down the corridor.

“I need to do this!” Arthur insisted. “I can’t wait any longer!”

At last, the staircase he had been looking for came into sight, and he hurried down towards level one, turning right and coming to an abrupt halt. 

The inconspicuous little glass door was indeed guarded by security that travelled with S&K, and Arthur remembered the face of the feisty-looking girl that was watching it. She had once refused to let him enter the band's dressing room, and Merlin'd had to come to pick him up, much to Gwaine’s amusement. Her name was Kara, if he remembered correctly.

Right now, Kara was watching him with a deep frown, and Arthur was sure that she was ready to take him down should the need arise. Arthur sighed, and he reached up to take off his fake glasses and wig. His real hair clung uncomfortably to his skull, but he didn’t pay any attention to it.

“Kara,” he greeted her, approaching carefully. “I’m sorry to turn up here like this, unannounced and without invitation, but I really had no choice. My father took my mobile away, and I had no way of contacting anyone. I really need to speak to Merlin. Is there any way you could let me in?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not authorised to allow you entrance, Your Royal Highness.”

“I know,” Arthur sighed, frustrated. “I know, and I hate to do this, but this is an emergency! I  _ really _ need to speak to him.”

When she still merely looked at him, unimpressed, Leon stepped up, much to Arthur’s surprise. “Listen, Kara, why don’t you check back with Gwen?” he suggested, and Arthur wondered how he could still look so respectable and trustworthy with blue hair. He wished he had that power. “Let her make the decision.”

Kara considered him for a moment, then sighed and gave in. “Fine,” she grumbled. “But you’re taking your Prince out of here if she says so, agreed?”

“Agreed,” Leon smiled. 

With a roll of her eyes, she pulled out her mobile, pushed a few buttons and held it to her ear. Then, she started talking. “Gwen? Hi, this is Kara. I’m at Exit S39 and HRH Prince Shithead turned up. He wants to speak to Merlin. Shall I ask him to fuck off?” There was a long pause before she murmured: “Fine, see you in a minute.”

She glared at Arthur as she pocketed her mobile. “You’re lucky,” she shrugged. “She’s on her way.”

“Did you just call me ‘HRH Prince Shithead’?” Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Gwaine made it your official codename,” Kara shrugged. “Just following protocol.”

Arthur bit his lip, not sure what to answer to that. They waited for a while in tense silence until finally, Gwen appeared in the hallway behind the door Kara was guarding. She opened the door with her keycard, raising her eyebrows at Arthur.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“I need to talk to Merlin,” he told her.

“You had more than a week to talk to him, Arthur,” Gwen sighed. “And now you turn up at the concert?!”

“I had no choice!” Arthur called. “My father took away my mobile, my laptop - he shut down all forms of communication, basically! I had no way of contacting anyone, not even Morgana!”

She stared at him, long and hard. 

“It’s true, Gwen,” Leon said, from behind Arthur. “He’s not making excuses, if that’s what you think.”

Gwen’s shoulders sagged a little. “I thought it was a little strange,” he muttered, “for you to just disappear like that.”

“I would have never,” Arthur ensured her, taking a step closer to Gwen. “Please,” he begged. “All I want is to talk to him.”

She sighed. “Fine,” she gave in. “Oh, Gwaine will murder me, but I think, if anything, Merlin deserves closure. So in you come.”

Arthur took a deep breath and followed Gwen down the corridor into the backstage area, Leon on his heels. 

“What  _ are _ you wearing, by the way?” Gwen asked distractedly, glancing back at him. “And Leon, do I want to ask about your hair?”

“Morgana,” Arthur just shrugged. “She said it’d be the perfect disguise.”

“Well, she isn’t wrong,” she shrugged. Then, she shook her head and said: “Honestly, though, I’m not sure coming here was your wisest choice. Gwaine will kill you as soon as he gets his fingers on you, that’s for sure, and the others won’t be much more pleasant. Everyone is a bit protective of Merlin… which doesn’t mean he can’t take care of himself, but, you know, it’s just… we’ve seen him get hurt before and we’re a bit allergic to it.”

“I understand that,” Arthur replied. “Really, I do! And I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did! But I want to fix this. I don’t want him to suffer. You have to believe me.”

“You’d better be telling the truth,” she muttered, barely audible as they got closer and closer to the stage, “or we’ll both be in serious trouble.”

They were passing the costume racks now, and Gwen turned to throw him another stern glare. 

“They’re still performing,” she said, “and I’m not letting you disturb the concert. But Merlin should have a break in about ten minutes when the others lead into their solo corners. You won’t have more than five minutes, though, so make it quick. I’d use my time to prepare a speech if I were you.” Arthur nodded, his heart racing. “Good, now come on. We can watch from the side of the stage.”

Arthur followed her up the steps until the stage came into sight. They were still well-hidden from view, since there was a good twenty feet space where refreshments were stored and a large screen hit them from the crowd. Arthur stood and stared. Merlin was at the front of the stage, so far away that he could only see his back - Merlin could definitely not see him, which was a good thing. The only people who could, technically, catch a glance of him if they looked up were Percival and Lance, but Percival was too busy playing the drums and looking straight forward instead of sideways, and Lance was angled away just enough so that his eyes wouldn’t wander into their direction.

Gwaine was ending the current song with a few high notes on his e-guitar and the crowd cheered. Gwen sidled up next to him as Leon took his position at Arthur’s other side.

“As you may have noticed, we changed up the setlist a little,” she noted wryly. “When Merlin is hurting, he tends to throw himself into work, you see. So he wanted to put in a couple of new songs. ‘Butterfly’ was the first one, and now they’re playing another one.”

“Oh,” was all Arthur managed to bring out as Merlin announced, to the crowd: “This is ‘Destiny’.”

Arthur’s eyes were glued to the back of Merlin’s head as Gwaine began to play, a soft, melancholic tune, and Merlin started to sing.

_ “Your kisses burning like fire _

_ in the cold Scottish winter; _

_ The Californian sun _

_ reflecting in your golden hair; _

_ The familiarity of your touch _

_ in the Denish night; _

_ Honestly, I knew it was too good _

_ to last.  _

_ I knew you were a safety hazard  _

_ for my heart _

_ but nevertheless, I decided to jump -  _

_ it’s my own fault, isn’t it? _

_ But you were a dream I couldn’t resist _

_ and I know I’ll carry your memory with me _

_ till the moment I die.  _

_ Had me convinced it was Destiny, _

_ Had me convinced it was meant to be, _

_ Had fallen so deep that I failed to see _

_ Destiny doesn’t always include a happy ending _

_ Not for me, at least.” _

“I hope you’re not planning on suing the band,” Gwen noted drily, and Arthur had to blink against the tears in his eyes, needing a long moment to pull himself back into reality.

“What?” he asked, his voice rough.

“Well, your letter was very clear that we weren’t allowed to speak about what happened,” Gwen shrugged. “But it didn’t necessarily say  _ singing _ , and he doesn’t mention your name, so it would all be speculation, but of course, fans will know this is about you. They aren’t stupid.”

“You think I care if they find out or not?!” Arthur asked, gaping at her. “Hell, let them find out!  _ I’m _ not the problem here, Gwen!  _ I  _ surely didn’t threaten you with legal consequences!”

She looked at him for a long moment. “Your father,” she said finally.

“Of course it was my father!” he hissed. “You can’t have honestly thought I would have sued S&K, or Merlin?!”

“We’ve had our experiences before,” she muttered, making a face. “Merlin’s ex was a real jackass. So forgive us if we’re a little sensitive there.”

“Well, whoever he was dating back then, I’m not  _ him _ !” Arthur argued, glancing back at Merlin, who was still singing. “If it were up to me, we’d be out already!”

“But it’s not up to you, is it?” Gwen sighed. “And that’s a problem, too.”

Arthur let out a groan of frustration, balling his hand into a fist. On stage, Merlin was slowly coming to an end, and the crowd was cheering extra loudly, obviously having recognised the emotional importance to the new song Merlin had presented to them. 

Merlin, though, turned to Lance and held up his outstretched palm before nodding to the stage exit. Arthur could see, even from far away, that he was biting his lip very hard, trying to keep his composure.

“He’s pushing up his break,” Gwen said as Lance nodded and started playing the keyboard, Merlin hurrying into their direction. “Now’s your chance. You’ve got five minutes.”

Arthur wanted to curse. Gwen had been right - he should have prepared a speech or something. Suddenly, he had no idea what to say.

Merlin looked up then and his eyes landed on Arthur. He froze in his tracks, still on stage, and stared, wide-eyed.

Gwen cursed. “No!” she groaned, waving him towards them. “Come back here, Merlin! They can still see you!”

It took few beats for Merlin to unfreeze and take note of Gwen’s frantic gesturing, but then he moved dutifully off stage and approached them. His jaw set in the few steps towards Arthur.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped. 

“Don’t do this here,” Gwen pleaded. “Come on, at least get down there.”

Wordlessly, Merlin pushed past Arthur and walked down the stairs, not checking if Arthur was following. He hurried after him, catching up to him in the corner where his costumes had been laid out. He was already shrugging out of his T-Shirt and putting on a new one, completely ignoring Arthur.

“Merlin,” he began. “Please, listen to me -”

“Why should I?” he challenged, whirling around. Arthur could see now that Merlin’s eyes were glistening with tears he was desperately trying to hold back, and it broke Arthur’s heart. “I’ve tried contacting you for more than a week, Arthur, and  _ now _ you turn up here, in the middle of my bloody  _ concert _ -”

“My father took away my mobile, my laptop, everything,” Arthur told him. “I was on complete lockdown. If I’d had any way of contacting you, I swear I would have!”

“Oh, but apparently you were allowed to release Press Statements and send out letters to warn me and Gwen about legal repercussions and go on bloody dates with Elena!” Merlin called.

“None of that was me!” Arthur shook his head. “Well, I  _ was _ on that date, but it was only so I could sneak out to get here tonight! But I had nothing to do with the Press Release or that bloody letter my father had Clarence House sent you! I swear I would never do that, Merlin!”

“Well, that’s awfully noble of you,” Merlin snapped. “Only it doesn’t change a bloody thing because you still  _ let it happen!” _

“I had no choice, Merlin!” Arthur shook his head. “You don’t know what my father is like!”

“You  _ always _ have a choice, Arthur!” Merlin called. “You just won’t choose me. Why don’t you admit it? You won’t ever be able to stand up to your father because you won’t be able to deal with the repercussions of it! Would you honestly abdicate for me if that’s what he’d demand? We both know you wouldn’t! So don’t turn up here and try to win me back because we both know we can’t have a future together!”

Arthur stared at him, long and hard. “Don’t tell me what we can or cannot have, Merlin,” he said, very quietly.

“I’m not going to let you play around with me any longer!” Merlin called. “I’ve been there before, I’ve done this! You know, the mad thing is that deep down, I  _ knew _ we’d end up here, and still, I let myself fall for you! And that’s on me, I know that, so don’t make it worse by drawing out the inevitable when we both know there is no way -”

“I love you!” Arthur interrupted him, shouting now. “I love you, and there’s no way I’m giving you up. No matter what my father says, or what you say, you’re _it_ for me!”

Merlin stared at him, seeming momentarily speechless. 

“So, there,” Arthur grumbled. “Maybe now, you can stop trying to talk me out of this and let me properly apologise, you major dollop head.”

“My word,” Merlin muttered, distractedly. He took a shaky breath, blinking hard against the tears welling up in his eyes again. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I love you,” Arthur repeated. 

“I was ready to let you go,” Merlin shook his head. “How dare you march in here and try to win me back? That’s not… that’s not okay.”

Arthur stepped closer to him, relieved when Merlin didn’t flinch away. His hand found the sweaty back of his neck, drawing him in until their foreheads touched. 

“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Arthur told him. “But I promise, I’m not going to let my father push me around any longer. We’re going to be together, one way or another.”

“Oh?” Merlin challenged. “And how?”

“We’re going to come up with something together, after the concert,” he shrugged. “We’ll take matters into our own hands. Morgana and Elena are here, too, and we’ll find a way. Just… give me another chance to make this right. Don’t give up on me just yet.”

Merlin closed his eyes and a single tear ran down his cheek. “You’re impossible,” he whispered before he leaned in to press their lips together urgently. 

It felt like coming home. Arthur’s heart was soaring.

It was over before it really began, though, because soon, Gwen’s voice made them break apart.

“Merlin!” she hissed. “You have to be up in 30!”

“Shit,” Merlin cursed, blinking hard and wiping at his face. “I came back here to keep my emotions in check, not to start crying!”

“I’m sorry,” Arthur muttered, catching his shoulder. “Hey, look at me. You can do this. Just a bit longer, and then we’ll take care of this giant clusterfuck together. Just hold on a little longer.”

Merlin held his gaze for a moment and nodded. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked a little steadier when he opened them again, following Gwen outside. 

Arthur allowed himself the luxury of another few moments of privacy before he, too, climbed up the stairs to take his position between Gwen and Leon at the side of the stage again.

“Will he be okay?” Arthur asked.

“Merlin is strong,” Gwen sighed. “He may be off today, but he’ll pull through this concert. He’s too much of a professional.”

Arthur nodded. Gwen glanced at him sideways. “What are you going to do?” she asked. 

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. “We’ll have to do  _ something _ ,” Arthur replied, an edge to his voice. “I’m not going to give him up. But what exactly we’ll do… we’ll have to talk about that later…”

Gwen stayed silent, and Arthur could feel the scepticism vibrating off her. 

The rest of the concert felt endless. At one point, Gwen suggested he’d better wait in the band’s dressing room lest he comes across Gwaine during one of his breaks, and being stuck in an empty room without a mobile to keep him company made the time pass even slower. Sure, Leon was there, but he kept stepping out to make phone calls himself. Arthur wondered if they were from Morgana and Elena, or if the Crown had already caught up on his disappearance.

Leon was, luckily, seated at his side when Gwaine burst into the room after the concert had ended, glaring Arthur down with narrowed eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” he snapped. “How  _ dare _ you show your face again after the shit you pulled?!”

Leon was on his feet immediately, stepping in front of Arthur to shield him, but it was Merlin’s tired voice that made Gwaine pause. 

“Stop it,” he sighed. “I don’t need you to defend my honour, I told you a million times.”

“This is not about that!” Gwaine shouted, his faced flushed in anger. “He hurt you, and I won’t stand for that!”

“And that’s very noble of you, but I’m no damsel in distress,” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Arthur and I talked it out earlier, so I don’t need you to punch his face in, thank you very much. Now would you back off so we can talk like civilised people?”

Gwaine grumbled and glowered at Arthur, but he fell silent. Merlin, looking infinitely tired, took the seat Leon had just abandoned right next to Arthur.

“Hey,” Arthur said softly.

“Hi,” Merlin muttered, rubbing his right temple.

“So,” Elyan spoke up, frowning at the two of them, “what exactly is happening now? Are we hiding him away or something?”

“No, we are not!” Gwen called, looking appalled. “We’re not kidnapping the Prince of Wales!”

“Well, it wouldn’t be kidnapping,” Percival injected reasonably. “ _ He _ came to  _ us _ , and -”

“I’m afraid Arthur staying away from Kensington for a longer period is out of the question,” Leon interrupted, throwing Arthur an apologetic look. “The Royal Guard is already on alert because he hasn’t yet returned.”

“Okay,” Lance frowned. “Then what’s the plan here?”

“We’re going to get ahead of the narrative,” Morgana announced, stepping into the room in all her camouflaged glory, Elena in tow. Arthur had to admit, the two of them really pulled off their new looks. “Until now, both the Press and Clarence House have decided what would be written about them. Now, we are going to set the rules.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Merlin demanded, his voice sour. “I’m gagged, remember?”

“You’re only forbidden from speaking as long as Arthur stays silent,” Elena injected, smiling. “These Royal NDAs are all the same. You’re only forbidden to divulge information that the person in question deems as private. So if Arthur decides to make a public statement about your relationship, you’re off the hook.”

Merlin looked at Arthur for confirmation and Arthur nodded. “It’s true,” he nodded. “If we do it together, no one can threaten you with legal consequences.”

“But -” Merlin frowned, biting his lip. “Are you really sure this is what you want, Arthur? You could lose  _ everything:  _ Your right to the throne, your public and financial support - are you really sure you want to risk it all for… well,  _ me?” _

Arthur’s face softened and he reached out for Merlin’s hand. 

“If there was a way to keep both, I would,” Arthur shrugged. “I love this country and its people, and I want to do good with the title I was born into. But to do that, I have to be honest with the people I am meant to rule one day - and I can’t do that if I give up on you today, Merlin, because it would also mean giving up on an important part of who  _ I  _ am. A large portion of the British population is LGBTQ+, like you and me, and how could I face them knowing I turned away from the man I loved because my father expected it of me?”

Merlin stared at him for a long moment. Then, he cracked a smile. “Damn,” he muttered. “When I signed up as a patron for all these LGBTQ+ causes, I had not meant to become a figurehead that far up the ladder. I just want to point that out.”

Arthur grinned. Merlin leaned his forehead against Arthur’s.

“So,” he asked, “how are we going to do this?”

“How about a video message?” Morgana suggested. “You can post it on the band’s Instagram.”

They all stared at her. 

“You can’t be serious,” Gwen muttered, sounding faint.

“Why not?” Morgana shrugged. “No one can say a video message is fake, and they can’t control the band’s insta.”

“Plus, good luck to Uther denying the rumours if you put up a video confirming them,” Elena shrugged. “He’ll have to give in and admit they’re true.”

“It doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea,” Lance admitted, smiling at Gwen, who still looked ready to faint.

“Of course, that would throw Merlin right out into the open,” Percival pointed out, catching Merlin’s eyes. “You’re okay with that?”

“Honestly?” Merlin sighed. “I’ve been hiding out at my uncle’s for the past week. I’m already knee-deep in. I’d rather it’s for the right reasons than for the wrong ones.”

“So you’re ready to become a Princess?” Elyan smirked. 

Merlin looked unimpressed. He caught Elena’s eyes. “You remember when Gwaine invited you to take Elyan’s place?” he said. “I second the motion. Welcome to the band.”

Elyan spluttered and Elena laughed. Satisfied his revenge had been delivered, Merlin turned back to Arthur. “So,” he said, looking nervous. “What do you say?”

“Let’s do this,” he nodded, squeezing his hand. 

Morgana whooped. “Oh, there’s such a beauty about one-upping Uther via social media,” she sighed. 

“You’re just bitter because he never allowed us to have our own accounts,” Arthur smirked.

“You bet I am,” she grinned. “Now, it’s time for rebellion against his authoritarian regime! Vive la resistance! Vive la liberté!”

“Okay, Morgana, calm down,” Elena chuckled. “Our aim is Arthur and Merlin’s happiness, not overthrowing Uther.”

“Don’t kill my groove, El,” she pouted, slinging an arm around her shoulders. 

Merlin raised his eyebrows at Arthur, and Arthur just rolled his eyes.

He had no doubt that Morgana would actually lead a coup against Uther if she ever got the support for it. 

**PRINCE OF WALES AND LEAD SINGER OF** **_SORCERERS & KNIGHTS_ ** **COME OUT IN INSTAGRAM POST**

_ After extensive rumours concerning the nature of their relationship, HRH The Prince of Wales Arthur Pendragon and singer-songwriter Merlin Emrys, lead singer of the successful British band  _ Sorcerers & Knights _ , have opened up about their romantic relationship. In a video posted on the band’s official Instagram shortly after their concert at Wembley last night, the Prince and Emrys explain that they have been involved with each other since the end of last year and that their intentions are serious.  _

_ This directly negates the Public statement Clarence House released on May 14th, stating that their relationship was merely platonic. While the Prince doesn’t explicitly address that statement in the video, he hints strongly that the statement was released without his consent. “There are people who wish me to stay quiet about my relationship to Merlin, and who have taken direct measures to cover up the truth,” Prince Arthur says in the video. “But I’m not going to keep quiet about my true feelings, or about who I really am. I am convinced that the British people deserve nothing but the truth.” _

_ Prince Arthur and Emrys go on taking a clear stance for the LGBTQ+ movement in the video. “It is very obvious that the opposition to me as Arthur’s partner would not be as strong if my gender were female,” Emrys says. “For me personally, though, gender has never been an identifiable characteristic when it comes to my romantic choices. I fall in love with the person, and in this case, I fell in love with Arthur. And he happened to fall in love with me, and I happened to be a man. And like this, millions of people under the LGBTQ+ spectrum all over the UK and all over the world happen to fall in love, and for them as well as for ourselves, we’re not going to back down.” Emrys, ever since the band’s debut in 2012, has openly identified as pansexual and has tirelessly supported LGBTQ+-oriented charities. _

_ Reactions to the video have been immense. Comments on the Instagram post have been deactivated by the band’s management, but the tags #PrinceArthur, #MerlinEmrys, #Merthur and #TheGayPrince were trending worldwide within the hour. Reaction videos were uploaded on various social media, some in support of the relationship, others to offer cutting commentary about the way the situation has been handled. Many wonder how the monarchy will survive this scandalous open rebellion by the Prince of Wales.  _

_ No one at Kensington Palace has been available for commentary as of yet. _


	9. Make The Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers!
> 
> Here I am with the last chapter of this story! I'm sorry that it's so short but dragging it out any longer would have felt unnatural. I'd originally planned to write an explicit smut scene to wrap it all up, but it... didn't want to be written. I'm sorry. I stared at the document for ages and it felt wrong to put it there just to put it there, so I decided to go without it and focus on the emotional side. It felt better that way, and I hope you'll agree. Naturally, that's what cuts the chapter short in terms of words. 
> 
> Anyway, I do hope you'll enjoy the wrap up of this story!! Thank you so much for everyone who stuck with it all the way through :D Stay save through this horrible time and if somehow possible, stay positive. I'm sending you lots of love.

He was back in his father’s study, looking at a progressively apoplectic King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. At least, he wasn’t alone this time, he reflected, though with the way Uther Pendragon’s face turned puce as he studied Merlin more closely, maybe that wasn’t a particularly positive thing. 

“So,” Uther began, his voice thin. “You decided to defy me.”

“Well,” Arthur shrugged, “it’s not like you asked for my opinion on the matter. So I had to make myself heard by other means.”

“And you thought social media was the way to go?” he ground out.

“It was certainly efficient,” he pointed out. 

“Have you completely taken leave of your senses, Arthur?” Uther snapped. “This is not how the Prince of Wales behaves!”

“Well, if the duties of the Prince of Wales include lying to my people, then maybe it’s better if I abdicate,” Arthur glared. 

“You don’t mean that,” Uther shook his head.

“Oh, but I do!” Arthur ensured him. “I’m done playing your game, Father. I’m not going to pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m not going to marry someone I don’t love. If you can’t accept that, then I have to step back from my position.”

“Stop acting like a petulant child!” Uther yelled, getting to his feet. “This is the future of the monarchy that we’re talking about!”

“I’m just holding on to my principles!” Arthur called, getting to his feet. “As any good monarch should, or so I’ve always believed. You’re the one who’s stuck in the last century, unable to move forward -”

“All right,” Merlin interrupted, his voice calm. “Maybe we should all take a deep breath and calm down. This won’t get us anywhere.”

“I don’t recall giving you permission to talk in my presence!” Uther hissed at Merlin.

“Don’t you dare talk to him that way!” Arthur shouted.

Merlin put his head in his hands and sighed. 

“What is it about him?!” Uther demanded, gesturing to Merlin. “What about this boy has you so - so  _ enchanted  _ that you’re willing to throw your whole life over for him?!”

“I love him,” Arthur said, simply. “Like you loved my mother.”

“Ygraine was of royal birth,” Uther ground out. "She was a _woman!"_

“And if she hadn’t been?!” Arthur challenged. “Would you really have loved her any less?!”

“I’d have done what is right!” Uther yelled. “As should you!”

Arthur closed his eyes, taking Merlin’s advice and breathing in and out, deep and steady. When he opened them again, his gaze was firm and unforgiving. 

“I won’t back down in this,” he said, his voice calm. “Either, you accept my relationship with Merlin, and you accept him as an official suitor, or I will have to step back from my position. Good luck moulding Morgana to your wishes.”

Uther looked at him, long and hard. “You’re bluffing,” he said.

“Try me,” he shrugged. 

The silence that followed was stifling. Finally, Arthur sighed. “Come on, Merlin,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“Yes,” he nodded, squeezing his shoulder to make him get to his feet. 

They were halfway to the door when his father called his name.

“Arthur,” he ground out through clenched teeth, stiff but still clearly understandable. “Wait.”

Arthur smiled, squeezing Merlin’s shoulder again before turning around. 

***

**Press Release from Clarence House regarding the nature of HRH The Prince of Wales Arthur Pendragon’s relationship to singer-songwriter Merlin Emrys, date May 23rd**

_ Clarence House hereby confirms that the Prince of Wales and Merlin Emrys have been in a romantic relationship since December last year. The Crown recognises Emrys as the Prince’s suitor. Details on how Emrys is going to fill that role will follow in due time.  _

_ Meanwhile, Clarence House asks the public and the press to respect the privacy of Emrys and his family. _

_ *** _

“Okay,” Merlin said, into his mobile. “That’s great news. I’m so glad to hear that. I can’t wait to see you. Have a good trip. I love you too, Mum! See you!”

“Is she okay?” Arthur asked, watching Merlin as he hung up and placed his mobile on the nightstand. 

“Yeah. The Royal Guard picked her up and she’s now on the way here,” Merlin explained.

They were staying in Arthur’s rooms tonight. They had agreed that, for the moment, it wouldn’t be prudent for Merlin to return to his own apartment or to involve his Uncle Gaius any more than strictly necessary. “Now that he's officially confirmed as a royal suitor, they will dig through Merlin's family connections and find Gaius,” Geoffrey had warned them. “But it will be much worse if he’s known to have lived there.” Merlin’s mother, on the other hand, had been summoned from Northern Ireland at the earliest notice. Hunith Emrys, or the entire village of Ealdor, as it turned out, had already been hoarded by paparazzi for the past week, but now that the official story was out, it felt only right that she would be sheltered at Kensington while they waited for the immediate media shitstorm to pass. 

“It won’t be like this forever,” Arthur promised him, catching Merlin’s eyes as he slipped out of his clothes and got ready for bed. “It will get easier once the novelty of it all dies down.”

“Easier, maybe,” Merlin allowed, sending him a soft smile. “But it won’t ever be normal again, either.”

Arthur frowned, watching him as he joined him under the covers. “Do you regret it?” he asked finally, dreading the answer.

Merlin looked surprised at the question. He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Not at all. I’ll get used to it eventually, I’m sure. I mean, I got used to the attention that comes with being a musician, too. This is just a step up, right?”

“Quite a step up,” Arthur reminded him. “And you’ve always been quite private.”

Merlin smiled and moved closer to him, fitting himself against Arthur’s side and throwing an arm across his waist. “True,” he allowed. “I don’t like sharing my private life with a million followers on social media. Still, I made an exception for you, because you’re worth it. You’re worth every bit of scrutiny or royal protocol or ignorance from high-born morons that I have to endure. Okay?”

Arthur smiled back, and he leaned in to kiss Merlin softly. Merlin leaned into it, his fingers diving into Arthur’s hair, pulling gently. It made Arthur gasp. Merlin chuckled against his lips.

“Not tired yet, I take it?” he whispered. “It’s been an awfully long day…”

“I need you,” Arthur whispered. “I - I need you to - will you…?”

Merlin pulled away to catch his eyes. He held them for a long moment and Arthur tried not to fidget. 

That night, it was the first time that Arthur gave himself to Merlin completely. Sure, they had done almost everything else, but this had been a line they hadn’t crossed yet, and Merlin had never asked, clearly not wanting to demand anything Arthur wasn’t willing to give. 

There was nothing Arthur wasn’t willing to give to Merlin, though. Everything he _was_ was Merlin’s. 

And so they made slow, tender love between Arthur’s expensive sheets, in Kensington Palace, with the whole world knowing that they were in love, and it felt liberating. Like a momentous event in time. They were part of a new world order now, an order that Arthur was shaping himself, and as he lay his head against Merlin’s chest, exhausted, spent and so happy he could burst, he felt like finally, he had found meaning in the title he had been born into. 

***

“Do you ever feel like your face is spasming from fake smiles during one of these events?” Merlin enquired, under his breath, trying to keep a pleasant face as the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire excused themselves to talk to the King. 

“You’ll build up facial muscles soon enough,” Arthur told him, taking a sip from his champagne flute. “It’s all about training.”

Merlin looked at him dubiously but didn’t comment. “So,” he asked, dread filtering into his voice, “how am I doing for my first outing as the official suitor to the Prince of Wales?”

“You’re doing brilliantly,” Arthur smiled at him. “Apart from the small hiccup with the hors d'oeuvres -”

“You knew I was clumsy when you fell for me,” Merlin interrupted him, his ears turning red in a sign of embarrassment. “Your own fault.”

“Do you hear me complaining?” Arthur grinned, his right hand pressing to the small of Merlin’s back in an affectionate gesture. Merlin smiled and caught his eyes, then he glanced around the room. 

“You know they’re probably snatching photos of us right now,” he muttered. 

“Let them,” Arthur shrugged. 

Merlin grinned and nodded. He took a sip of his own flute of champagne, then he muttered: “I can’t wait to get out of here, though. Why do _I_ have to be here when Morgana and Elena got out of it?”

“Because the Crown wants to show you off,” Arthur reminded him before he frowned. “Wait, why is Elena back in the country? She was here only a couple of weeks ago.”

“Oh,” Merlin hid his grin behind his glass. “Gwaine invited her to the Manchester con, and she never left.”

Arthur gaped at him. “Elena and Gwaine?!” he hissed, incredulous.

“Looks like it,” Merlin nodded. “The Denish Monarchy will have a heart attack. I might be a bloke, but I swear I’m more manageable than Gwaine.”

“Oh, you definitely are,” Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. “Elena’s father is going to have a fit. I see him and my father commiserating already.”

“I don’t feel bad at all,” Merlin smirked. 

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Arthur laughed. “You’re probably celebrating inwardly. You caused your own Irish Revolution within the Monarchy.”

Merlin snorted. “You’ll never remember that I’m actually a British citizen, will you?” he shook his head.

“Shhh,” Arthur shushed him, poking him in the rips. “You’re ruining my metaphor.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Merlin rolled his eyes. 

“But you love me,” Arthur returned cheekily.

“Yes,” Merlin sighed, grinning back at him. “I guess I do.”

Arthur’s hand lifted from his back to brush their hands together. Merlin’s fingers travelled up to his wrist, hooking into the bracelet Merlin had given Arthur at Venice Beach and that he’d secretly been wearing underneath his suit jackets whenever he could get away with it. 

He knew photographers were taking pictures of them, and that his father would probably scold him for showing such physical intimacy in public. But he didn’t care. 

It was a new era, and they were going to make the rules. 


End file.
